Maoists release kidnapped police officer

Police officer Atindranath Dutta was released on Thursday unharmed by Maoists in Lalgarh after their conditions were met by state govt.

Two days after being taken hostage,police officer Atindranath Dutta was released on Thursday unharmed by Maoists in Lalgarh after the women arrested by the security forces in anti-Maoist operations in West Midnapore district were released on bail by a court.

“As per our commitment to the Dutta family and the government,we have released Atindranth Dutta unharmed after 15 women were released on bail by a Jhargram court,” top Maoist leader Kishenji,who had demanded their release,said over phone from an undisclosed location.

Asked if there was any mediation,Kishenji,who had declared that Dutta was a ‘prisoner of war’ and was being well treated,claimed “there was no mediator. We appealed to the government through the media and the family of the kidnapped officer.”

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West Bengal Chief Secretary Asok Mohan Chakraborty,however,said in Kolkata “He has not been fully released yet,but has been handed over to a team of media representatives and lawyers.

“We are relieved. We went through a lot of tension for the last two days. A colleague of ours was abducted. We were worried about his state of health,” Chakraborty told reporters at state Secretariat.

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