Two get lifer for abduction of ex-Malkangiri collector

Malkangiri: The court of Additional District and Sessions Judge today awarded life imprisonment to two persons, including a woman Maoist, in connection with the abduction of former Malkangiri collector R Vineel Krishna on February 16, 2011.

The court awarded life sentences to Tapan Shah and M Divya. While Shah is a government servant, Divya is a hardcore Maoist. The court, however, acquitted another accused Ghasiram Pangi for lack of evidence.

Talking to OTV, former Director General of Police (DGP) Manmohan Praharaj said it was difficult for the Odisha police to nab the abductors after the release of Vineel Krishna.

“As it was a herculean task for the State Police to identify the abductors and nab them from the inaccessible areas, we had sought the help of police in Andhra Pradesh and other neighbouring states. After a lot of difficulties, we managed to convince the witnesses and made them appear in the court, which recorded their statement. I am happy with the verdict of the court,” Praharaj said.

Notably, a group of extremists intercepted Krishna in K Gumma block in the evening while he was on the way to the district headquarters after a tour of the interior parts of the district bordering Andhra Pradesh and Chhattisgarh to attend gram panchayat-level single window camps.

The red rebels later released a junior engineer, who had accompanied the collector, with a letter listing their demands like stopping of operations by security personnel and release of some arrested Maoists.