Chhattisgarh: Maoists release soldier kept in captivity for a week

Outlawed Communist Party of India (Maoist) on late Friday evening set free the abducted Jawan of Bastar Fighters, a counter-insurgency specialised unit of the Chhattisgarh police. The Jawan, who was abducted a week ago by the Maoists, was kept in captivity by the ultras since 29 of last month.

According to the reports, Shankar Kudiyam, a resident of Eramnaar village of Bijapur, was abducted from Uspari village under Maoist-hit Bhairamgarh police station limits on Thursday, September 29. It’s been learnt that Kudiyam, who was posted at the police line in Bijapur, had gone to Uspari village for personal work when he was abducted by the ultras.

It’s been reported that after interrogating Kudiyam, the Maoists had decided to kill him however, following the appeal of the family members and Kudiyam, the Maoists decided to set him free after parading him in a Jan Adalat, a kangaroo court of the Maoist prevalent in the regions still dominated by the ultras.

Notably, the family members of Kudiyam, along with the members of Sarv Adivasi Samaj, had earlier pleaded to the Maoist for the safe return of the Jawan, considering which the Maoist ultimately released Shankar on late Friday evening. It’s been learnt that the Jawan had recently joined the Bastar Fighters.

Following the abduction of the Jawan, the Maoist had also released a press note on Wednesday, October 04 and claimed that the Jawan Shankar Kudiyam is in their custody and is being interrogated. In the press note released by the Maad divisional committee of the banned CPI (Maoist), the secretary of the Maad division, Anita Mandavi had claimed that “the police have been fully aware of the abduction of the Jawan since 29. However, they choose not to disclose it. What were they waiting for? Can be understood.”

The Maoists had further claimed that the ‘Bastar Fighters’ force had been created for anti-naxal operations, and the personnel of this force were trained in the line of the Greyhounds Commandos of Telangana. The press note further claimed that the police have been unleashing atrocities, and the Tadmetla incident needs to be opposed by everyone.

Following the press release by the Maoists, the Bijapur Superintendent of Police (SP), Anjanye Varshanye, in a video message had also appealed to the Maoists to release the abducted Jawan on humanitarian grounds. In the video message, Varshanye had said that ” upon enquiring the fellow personnel of Kudiyam, it’s been revealed that the latter had gone to the Uspari village from where he did not return.”

Further, while making an appeal to the Maoists to release the Jawan, Varshanye said that “it has come to the fore that Kudiyam was kidnapped by the Maad division of the Maoists. Those youths who have joined the police force are contributing to the development, security and peace of the region. Earlier, on many occasions, security forces have also treated injured Maoists after encounters; thus, we expect that while considering the public sentiments and appeal of the family member, constable Kudiyam will be released soon.”

It is to be noted that this is not the first time that a security personnel has been abducted and kept in custody by the Maoists and earlier too on many occasions, the Maoists have abducted personnel of security forces, local contractors, engineers working on the development projects in the regions affected by insurgency.

Earlier in another such development a personnel of the Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) unit of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) was also abducted by the Maoists following the Bijapur ambush in April 2021. The abducted personnel Rakeshwar Manhas, was later released by the Maoists after negotiations were held with the representative appointed by the state government to ensure the release of the abducted personnel. Manhas was also kept in custody for six days after the Maoists finally set him free in the presence of hundreds of villagers in Tarem.