Raipur: Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, a Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) COBRA jawan who was kidnapped during a deadly encounter in Chhattisgarh’ Bijapur on April 3, was released after five days of Maoist captivity, said the Bastar police officials on Thursday.
The jawan was released with the help of an eleven-member committee of mediators include, social worker Padmashree Dharampal Saini Gondwana Samaj leader Telam Boraeya and female representative Hemla Sukhmati, four local journalists Shankar, Ganesh Mishra, Mukesh Chandrakar, Ranjan Dash and Chetan Kapewar, two arbiters from Maoist side.
Before freeing him, Manhas was presented and trialed as a captive in the Jan Adalat (Kangaroo Court) the amid presence of 100 of the villagers surrounded by 50 armed naxals in the jungles of Junneguda under Tarrem police limits, somewhere 15 kilometers away from the deadly encounter site, a journalist part of negotiating committee informed.
However, he refused to reveal the details of the exact location of the place where the Jan Adalat was held citing the security reasons.
The Kangaroo court was held on Thursday in morning hours, but the most wanted Naxal commander Hidma was absent, he added.
He also did not reveal on what conditions the Naxals agreed to release the jawan.
Meanwhile, the 11-member team was earlier in talks with Maoists for the safe release of the jawan, a local journalist of Bastar Ankur Tiwari said.
Manhas was brought to Tarrem CRPF camp— the area where the encounter took place, Tiwari said.
Manhas reached the camp on the bike of a local journalist of Sukma where his health checkup was carried out.
FPJ has exclusive footage and clippings of the camp and incident.
On the safe release of jawan, Bastar Police issued a press note.
After the Tekalgudem encounter on 03rd April, the whereabouts of one COBRA jawan Rakeshwar Singh Manhas could not be ascertained, IG Bastar Sundarraj P said in the press note.
At around 4.30 pm the abducted COBRA jawan Rakeshwar Singh Manhas returned back safely to Tarrem Police Station along with the facilitators, who went inside the jungle to trace out his location, the IG said.
The jawan is being admitted to Basaguda field hospital for medical examination and treatment, he added.
Sources informed, after completion of formalities jawan was airlifted to Raipur for further queries.
