COBRA JAWAN HELD HOSTAGE BY NAXALS RELEASED

RAIPUR: A commando of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF)’s CoBRA unit, who was captured by Maoists in Chhattisgarh after an April 3 gunfight, was released on Thursday, a top police official said.

Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, a commando with the CRPF’s special operation unit CoBRA, was released deep in the jungle and was brought to the Terrem camp, Inspector general of police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P said.

“At around 4.30pm, the abducted jawan returned safely to Terrem police station along with the facilitators who went inside the jungle to trace his location. He has now been admitted to the Basaguda field hospital for medical examination,” the IGP said.

Some media persons had accompanied the facilitators, including representatives of social groups, and recorded the video of his release. Visuals showed armed Maoists with their faces covered freeing the personnel who they had tied with ropes.

“The facilitators include Padmashree awardee Dharampal Saini from Mata Rukhmani Ashram Jagdalpur and Telam Boraiyya, senior leader of tribal community in Bijapur. In the effort to release the jawan, local journalists Ganesh Mishra and Mukesh Chandrakar also played an important role,” Sundarraj said.

The Maoists earlier released a photograph of the 35-year-old which showed him sitting alone in what appeared to be a hut. Manhas is a commando with the 210th CoBRA battalion.

Manhas’ family had appealed to the Centre to ensure he is released unharmed. He is the family’s sole breadwinner and has a five-year-old daughter.

After he was released, his wife Meenu expressed her gratitude to the government and said, “Today is the happiest day of my life. I always remained hopeful of his return. I thank the government.”

Twenty-two soldiers from the CRPF’s CoBRA unit, District Reserve Guard, and the Special Task Force lost their lives in a five-hour-long clash with Maoists on April 3. The security personnel were caught unaware when Maoists started to fire indiscriminately from hill tops after luring them into a U-type ambush.