Patnaik appeals to Maoists to release kidnapped Italian tourists

BHUBANESWAR: Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik Sunday appealed to CPI (Maoist) for the release of the two Italian tourists abducted by the left-wing ultras from Kandhamal-Ganjam Border in Odisha yesterday. The chief minister appealed to the ultras to immediately release the two Italian tourists on humanitarian grounds after reviewing the incident at a high level meeting here with Chief Secretary B K Patnaik, Home Secretary U N Behera, Director General of Police Manmohan Praharaj and other senior police officials.


After the meeting the chief minister told the media persons the Ministry of External Affairs and the Union Ministry of Home Affairs were appraised of the incident. He said the Odisha Government was ready for negotiations with the Maoists for the release of the foreign tourists and said, 'I appeal to the Ultras to release the tourists immediately.' Condemning the act, the chief minister said, 'Such heinous act was not acceptable in any civil society and no one will condone such incidents.' Though state Home Secretary U N Behera confirmed the abduction here today, earlier, both Ganjam and Kandhamal police kept mum on the incident, saying no foreign tourists had registered with the district administration during the last one week for permission to visit these districts. Chief Secretary B K Patnaik said the tourists were kidnapped while they were on a trekking expedition.



The foreign nationals were told not to go on the expedition but they did not pay any heed to it and went ahead with their expedition, he added. The chief secretary is scheduled to hold another meeting later in the day to find ways to resolve the issue.


Meanwhile, the Italian Consulate General is coming here to take stock of the situation. However, the incident came to light after an audio CD was sent by the extremists to an electronic media office here. The CD revealed the tourists were kidnapped by the Maoists while they were taking objectionable photographs of the tribals yesterday. The Maoists identified the tourists as Bosusco Paololau and Claudio Colangelo. The audio tape informed the tourists would be released if the government conceded to the rebels 13-point charter of demands. The demands included withdrawal of combing operation in the area to drive out the ultras, immediate release of Maoist symphathisers like Gananath Patra and Subhasri Panda.


Meanwhile, Jana Adhikar Manch Convenor and one of the mediators between the government and the Maoists for the release of Malkangiri district Collector Vineel Krishna kidnapped by the Maoists few days back identified the voice in the CD as that of senior Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda.