Malkangiri (Orissa), Feb 17 District Collector R V Krishna, who has been kidnapped by the Maoists, today remained untraced even as the authorities launched "back channel" efforts to seek the release of the IAS officer from the custody of the Naxalites.
In perhaps the first-ever abduction of an IAS officer in Orissa by the Maoists, the 30-year-old district collector of Malkangiri was kidnapped last evening by a group of 50 Maoists when he was on a visit to the remote Chitrakonda area, a Maoist stronghold about 85 km from here, to attend a camp for local development, police said.
The officer was taken hostage after he went from the mega public interaction camp held at Badapada bordering Andhra Pradesh to inspect a culvert on a road nearby on a motorcycle along with two junior engineers and another person,Chitrakonda Tehsildar D Gopal Krishnan said.While the collector and a junior engineer were held hostage, two others reached Badapada late last night with a letter and handed it over to senior officials, he said.
The Maoists have set a two-day deadline for the authorities to fulfil their demands of a halt to anti-Naxal operations and release of jailed ultras. The exact location of the officer is being ascertained, Superintendent of Police Anirudh Singh said.
In Delhi, Home Secretary G K Pillai said, "He (Krishna) was abducted by the Maoists and they sent the engineer back with a chit asking for... their so called demands. The state government and other officers are working on this".
Strongly condemning the abduction, Pillai said, "I don't think there is any need for any operation to release him. I am sure that the local support that he has and the state government will be able to negotiate and get his release.
"I think it will take some time because the area is quite cut-off but back channel efforts are underway and I think it will take a few days but we are quite confident of getting him back," he said.
Terming Krishna's abduction as "unfortunate", Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik made an appeal for his early release and said all options were being evaluated by the government which was closely monitoring the situation.Chief Secretary B K Patnaik said the letter sent by the Maoists was apparently written by the abducted collector in his own handwriting.
The letter demanded halt to anti-Maoist joint operations, combing and release of all those lodged in jails on charges of being Maoists.Steps were being taken for early and safe release of Krishna, a 2005 batch IAS officer, Patnaik said.Social activist Swami Agnivesh offered to help the government if his services were sought for the safe release of the officer.
"I would like to appeal to the Maoists who have taken Krishna as a captive not to cause any bodily harm to him," he said, noting that the Naxalites should give up their ultimatum of two days for the authorities to meet their demands.PTI
