Maoists release Paolo Bosusco

Bhubaneswar: The hostage crisis has finally come to end today with the release of 51-yr old Italian national Paolo Bosusco who was held captive by the Odisha unit of the Maoist party for the last 28 days. 

On Wednesday, top Maoist leader and Secretary of the State Organising Committee of the CPI(Maoist) Sabyasachi Panda in an audio message said that Bosusco will be released through a "democratic process". Though Panda refuted having personally received copy of any joint statement issued by the Odisha government and the Maoist-appointed two mediators, he acknowledged quoting reliable sources that the joint statement contained the 13-point charter of demands raised by the Maoists which was one of the preconditions for the release of the Italian national.

On March 14, Bosusco, a Puri-based tour operator was taken hostage by the Maoists alongwith Italian tourist Claudio Colangelo while they were trekking in tribal dominated Kandhamal district. Though Colangelo was set free as a "goodwill gesture" on March 25, Bosusco was not released with the Maoists remaining firm on their demands that included the release of five prisoners.