SC issues notice to Odisha Govt, Centre on freeing Naxals

Bhubaneshwar, Apr 19 (ANI): The Supreme Court on Thursday issued notices to the Odisha Government and the Centre on a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) seeking to restrain the state from releasing 27 Naxals in exchange for abducted Biju Janata Dal (BJD) MLA Jhina Hikaka.

The apex court asked the Odisha Government for details on what it is doing about related stories

Major General (retd) G Bakshi, a counter-terrorism operations expert, pleaded with the apex court on Wednesday that the state government should be restrained from releasing the Maoists captured by the security forces, who had risked their lives to nab them.

The apex court bench comprising Justices TS Thakur and Gyan Sudha Misra, while agreeing to hear the plea today, also pulled up Major General (retried) Bakshi for moving the court so late.

Meanwhile, the Maoists have stated that they would decide the fate of Jhina Hikaka at a people's court today.

In a message to the media, a leader of CPI (Maoist) Andhra Odisha Border Special Zonal Committee (AOBSZC) said the fate of the 37-year-old tribal MLA would be decided by the people's court

The development comes after Maoists rejected the government's offer of withdrawing cases against 13 prisoners for the freedom of Hikaka.

Odisha Home Secretary U.N Behera said the government will consider withdrawal of prosecution in other suitable cases if the abductors release the MLA immediately.

He said four prisoners have already been freed on bail and efforts are being made for release of another 21 prisoners on bail.

Hikaka was kidnapped near Toyaput after a large group of armed men stopped him as he was being driven through a hilly area some 500 kilometres away from Bhubaneswar on March 24. (ANI)