Malkangiri: Three students from Pune, who were abducted by Maoists from the Odisha-Chhattisgarh border on Sunday morning while they were on a bicycle rally, have been released.
The youths, who were on a bicycle rally to spread the message of peace, were allegedly kidnapped by Naxals from the insurgency-hit Bijapur district in Chhattisgarh bordering Malkangiri district.
The victims were identified as Aadrash Patil, Vilas Valake and Shrikirhna Shevale.
According to sources, the students had launched a cycle rally under their "Bharat Jodo" (Link India) campaign to propagate the message of peace in Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, the states worst affected by Naxalism over the past three decades.
They had started their journey from Pune on December 20, and passing through several places of Maharashtra and Chhattisgarh, they were going to conclude it at Balamela in Odisha on January 10, the sources added.