Ultimatum on Italian, fate of Odisha state legislator not known

Bhubaneswar (Odisha, India), Apr 6 (PTI) In a grim turn to the three-week old hostage crisis, ultra left Maoists today issued a fresh ultimatum threatening to execute the abducted Italian if their demands are not met within 96 hours. The Maoists holding 54-year-old Paolo Bosusco hostage since March 14 rejected the list of 27 prisoners who were offered to be freed by the government of the southeast Indian state of Odisha in a swap deal for the release of the Italian, saying it does not contain the names of those they wanted to be released. Piling up pressure on the state government, the left-wing extremists threatened to take the 'extreme step' if their demands were not met within 96 hours. There was also no response to the state government offer from another group of Maoists who are holding a 37-year-old BJD state legislator, Jhina Hikaka, hostage since March 24. In an audio message to a section of the media, top leader of the Maoist Odisha State Organising Committee Sabyasachi Panda said the the list of prisoners proposed to be freed for securing the release of Italian Paolo Bosusco was unacceptable and gave the 96-hour ultimatum. Panda had demanded immediate release of seven persons, including his wife Subhashree Das alias Mili Panda for Bosusco's release. But he said the government's list excluded many whose release had been demanded. Subhashree's name figured in the list of persons proposed to be freed by the government. Panda also sought a written agreement on fulfilment of the demands. Accusing the Naveen Patnaik government of the state of adopting delaying tactics, he said its talks with Maoist-nominated negotiators B D Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty were a "farce" as no clear-cut decision had been taken on the 13 demands made for the release of Bosusco. The ultimatum came a few hours after the government and Maoist mediators held talks on the Chief Minister offer to free 27 persons, including eight Maoists, in return for the release Hikaka and Bosusco. Italian Ambassador in India Giacomo Sanfelice di Monteforte met the State Chief Secretary B K Patnaik after the fresh ultimatum. The Chief Secretary and Home Secretary U N Behera said the new demand by Panda was being examined. Bosusco, a Puri-based tour operator, was abducted with another Italian Claudio Colangelo on March 14 while they were trekking in Kandhamal district of the state. Colangelo was freed on March 25 as a "good will gesture" by the ultras while Bosusco continues to be in their captivity. Referring to the BJD legislator's abduction, Panda said the incident had raised several questions and the government's attention appeared to have shifted from securing the release of the abducted Italian. Today's development came as a setback to the state government which was hoping that the two hostages would be released by the Maoists after the latest swap offer. PTI