Malkangiri:
Top Maoist leader Shriramulu Shrinivas was produced in a fast track court at Malkangiri for his bail plea. The release of this man, jailed for dacoity, is an important condition set by Maoists as they negotiate with the Orissa government for the release of Malkangiri Collector RV Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi.
The police who were escorting Shrimalu could not stop him from speaking to the media and raising slogans. Inside court, the Defence argued for bail, but the Prosecution said bail should be denied as there is prima facie evidence against Shriramalu in the case.
On Day 2 of negotiations, the Orissa government has conceded to eight of the 14 demands, but the main demand - the release of eight Maoists - is yet to be resolved. Five of them applied for bail today, including Ganti Prasada and Padma alias Sireesha, wife of top Maoist leader Ramkrishna.
"There have been altogether 14 demands we have discussed in the last two days. Out of that we have been able to resolve eight demands, on the basis of specific government decisions, some in the past and some now. We hope to resolve the six other demands in by Tuesday. We are also confident now that both of them - Collector Sri Vineel Krishna and junior engineer Sri Majhi will be released very soon," Orissa Home Secretary U N Behera said.
Sources say the optimism could be based on a secret understanding that the government will not oppose the bail plea of Shriramulu and others in court. The Orissa government's strong opposition to Shriramulu's bail could be the sticking point in the negotiations for a swap deal. The government says of all these Maoists, Sriramulu is the only one who was involved in violent activities as part of armed cadre.
The mediators and the state government officials may have been discussing a whole lot of issues over the last few days, but the hard bargain is over a hostage-exchange plan under which the Maoists want two of their top leaders Ganti Prasad and Shriramulu Shrinivas out of jail. And that can happen only if they secure bail and that is what is taking time.