16 days on, Naxals release cop

Soni, who had earlier during a TV interview criticised the Police Department for 8216;8216;not doing enough8217;8217; for his release, today sang a different tune. After saying he would quit the police force once he was released from captivity, the sub-inspector today showered praise on police officers and the state government for facilitating his release.

8216;8216;Our ongoing operation against the Naxalites will continue. There is no question of suspending the action,8217;8217; Soni told mediapersons. He parried questions on quitting the force and said: All is well that ends well8217;8217;. Asked how he was treated by his abductors, Inspector General of Police Bastar Range Girdhari Nayak intervened and said: 8216;8216;You can every well imagine the plight of a man who is paraded before a 8216;8216;jan-adalat with a rope tied around his wrist.8217;8217; Soni said, 8216;8216;I lived every moment remembering my family.8217;8217;

A much-relieved Chief Minister Raman Singh said Soni8217;s release would pave the way for restoration of peace in the state8217;s Naxalite-infested areas. He even offered to hold talks with the Naxalites.

The PWG had announced a list of nine demands in return for the SHO8217;s release but later, following appeals from Vara Vara Rao and Gadar, a revolutionary poet and balladeer respectively, climbed down and narrowed the list down to five demands. Soni today handed over a letter from the PWG to SP, Dantewara, Praveer Das in which the group has threatened the government to act on their demands.