‘Abducted’ by Naxals in Chhattisgarh, 3 Pune students freed, head home

On Sunday, five days after being abducted by the Naxals from Bijapur’s Terem area, the students were released, reaching the Chintalnar CRPF camp at noon, senior police officers confirmed. Inspector General of Police SRP Kalluri and other senior police officers then brought the students from Chintalnar to Jagdalpur, the district headquarters of Bastar district, in a chopper.

Speaking to The Indian Express, SRP Kalluri said, “We brought the youths to Jagdalpur in a chopper, and they are safe. We are also in contact with the SPs of Satara and Gadchiroli, and will send them home tomorrow,” Kalluri said.

The rescue operation followed a-day-and-a-half of panic after it emerged that the students had gone missing, with the intelligence reports to the Chhattisgarh police suggesting on Saturday that they had been taken into the forests by the Maoist leader and Jagargonda area committee head, Pappa Rao. Social groups and local media then began to try and establish contact in an attempt to rescue the students.

Early on Sunday morning, Kalluri urged social groups and local journalists to reach out for the rescue, and announced the temporary halt of all operations in the area until their safe release. “Many social groups and local journalists had expressed their desire to go look for them, but were afraid of being stopped or checked. I assured them that they were free to do so. The credit must also go to them,” Kalluri said.

On his latest Facebook post on December 22, Adarsh Patil explained why they had embarked on the study tour. He called the tour ‘Jodo Bharat Tour’ and goes on to say, “Intention: To meet people, To understand the Bharat within India. To learn as a human being, how to live like a human being. To understand people.” All the three youths have completed their graduation and are preparing for civil services examinations.

Vikas’s father says his son had spoken to him when the three entered Chhattisgarh after crossing the Maharashtra border. “He likes to travel and talk to people. Even last year, he had gone to Gadchiroli district for a study tour. As far as I know, there are areas where it can life threatening. I tried telling him not to take this risk. But he never listens. I am not so educated but I know that my son was only following his passion.” said Walke.

Adarsh Patil’s family is from Karad in Satara district and both his parents are school teachers. His uncle, Sunil More, says, “We are relieved that he is safe. His parents have been called by the Pune police for recording their statement.”

Joint commissioner of police (Pune city), Sunil Ramanand said, “We were in communication with the Chhattisgarh police since the beginning and provided them with information. The three are now safe and are at Chintalnar in Sukma. Statements of their parents are being recorded to get the facts about their communication.

A press note issued by the office of Maharashtra’s Director General of Police says, “As per the information given by Sukma district administration, the three youths had contacted them two months ago about the cycle rally and the Sukma administration had advised them against it, fearing security threat.”

Read: Naxals abduct three youths rallying for peace