Maintaining that abducted Malkangiri district collector and the junior engineer were safe,Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik today said Maoists have agreed not to harm the hostages when the talks are on. This was conveyed during the ongoing negotiations between mediators and state government officials for safe release of Malkangiri Collector R V Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi,Patnaik said in a statement at the state Assembly here. "The mediators assured officials no harm will be caused to the hostage duo,when talks are on," he said. Stating that detailed discussion was being held in a congenial manner,Patnaik said it was agreed there would not be any combing operation till negotiations are over. At the same time,the Maoists would not indulge in any untoward incident,disturbance or road blockade that could hamper the peace process as long as talks are on,the chief minister said. Meanwhile,the National Human Rights Commission today appealed to the Naxalites to release the IAS officer and junior engineer who are in their captivity for the sixth day. Expressing "deep concern" over their detention,the NHRC also hoped that human rights defenders in the country will try to secure their release immediately. Krishna,a 30-year-old IAS officer was abducted by Naxals on February 16 from Chitrakonda area along with Majhi. Talks are on between Maoist-chosen mediators and the government to ensure they are freed. "The National Human Rights Commission with deep concern takes notice of the detention of Mr R Vineel Krishna,District Collector,Malkangiri and Mr Pabitra Majhi,Junior Engineer,in the state of Orissa," the rights body said in a statement. "We appeal to the Naxalite group to release them immediately. We also wish that the human rights defenders in this country would make efforts to see that the detainees are released immediately," it said. Talks for the safe return of Krishna and Majhi were moving at a snail's pace as the rebels pressed for release of some Naxal leaders and around 700 tribals from jails in return for the duo. The ultras are also demanding a complete halt to joint anti-Naxal combing operations along Orissa-Andhra Pradesh border region by security forces of the two states.
