Orissa hostage crisis: Talks to resume today

BHUBANESWAR: Four days after Malkangiri district collector R Vineel Krishna, and junior engineer Pabitra Mohan Majhi were abducted by the Maoists, the Orissa government on Sunday began talks with mediators chosen by the Naxals. The talks were inconclusive. It will resume on Monday, an official said.

Three negotiators — Dandapani Mohanty and human rights activists and academicians G Haragopal and R Someswar Rao — held discussions with state Home Secretary UN Behera and Panchayati Raj Secretary SN Tripathy. “We had a detailed discussion today (Sunday).

The discussion was held in a congenial manner. Further discussion will be held tomorrow (Monday),” Behera said at a press conference. The Maoists have not caused any harm to the hostages, he added. No combing operation against the Maoists will be conducted in the state for now, Behera said.

Behera and Tripathy began the talks in the state guest house with the mediators of the state government after two of them arrived in the state capital from Hyderabad in the morning, a senior official said. The kidnapping is the most audacious act of the rebels in the state till date. The Naxals have listed their demands for the safe release of the hostages.