Maoist rebels have kidnapped two Italian tourists in Odisha, police said Sunday, in what was believed to be the first abduction of foreigners by the left-wing militants.
Reports said the kidnappers issued 13 demands for the release of the Italians, including the release an unspecified number of prisoners and an end to the drive to root out extremism from the region.
The abduction occurred on Wednesday in Kandhamal district in Odisha, police said.
“Maoists have abducted two Italian nationals from Daringbadi area of Kandhamal district,” the DIG of police, Mr Radha Krishna Sharma, said.
Victims identified
The Italian Foreign Office in Rome identified the kidnap victims as Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo.
Mr Bosusco had been living in Puri for a decade and was running an adventure tourism company, police said.
Mr Sharma said the men asked police on Monday to be allowed to travel around Kandhamal, but authorities denied permission, citing risks of Maoist violence.
“After that the two men and their Indian assistants were found roaming in these areas and on Wednesday. While they were taking bath near a coffee plantation, Maoists abducted them,” Mr Sharma said.
Mr Sharma said the militants freed the Indian hostages on Sunday morning unconditionally.
An Italian Foreign Ministry spokesman said authorities had “immediately activated a crisis unit” which was in contact with its consulate in Kolkata.
The consulate is working with local police on the ground. The men's families have been informed, the spokesman said.
Mr Ajai Sahni, executive director of the Institute for Conflict Management in New Delhi agreed this was the first time the rebels had kidnapped foreigners.
“It is not clear yet if this is a rogue operation by a maverick leader or if it is a strategic move by the central Maoist authority,” Mr Sahni told AFP. “Maoists have suffered tremendous attrition of leadership in recent years, so this presents an opportunity to get some of their leaders out of jail.”
CM's appeal
The Odisha Chief Minister, Mr Naveen Patnaik, today appealed to the Maoists to release the two abducted Italian tourists and said that the government was open to “any kind of negotiation under the law.”
“I appeal to the Left-wing extremists to immediately release the foreign tourists on humanitarian ground. Odisha government is open to any kind of negotiation with the kidnappers under the law,” he said.