Bhubaneshwar (AsiaNews) - Maoist
rebels have released Claudio Colangelo, one of two Italian tourists kidnapped last
week in the district of Kandhamal. The news was given by Indian Ndtv, which last night announced the release of both. Colangelo - abducted
along with Palo Bususco - has apparently been delivered into the hands of one
of the stations' journalist, near the village of Tanuja
in Daringbadi.
Also according to information from NDTV, Colangelo, who suffers from malaria, said
that he would soon call his family in Italy. Meanwhile, neither the Italian
government nor the Indian confirm the release.
The hostage crisis became more complicated after the kidnapping yesterday of Jhina
Hikaka, a Hindu nationalist MP in Orissa, in contravention of the agreement that
during the negotiations between the Maoists and the government there would be a
halt to violence from communist rebels.
BD Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty, mediators appointed by the Maoists, have decided
to suspend all negotiations due to "unfortunate incidents that harm the
peace." The Governor of Orissa (chief minister), Naveen Patnaik, has asked
the Maoists to appoint two mediators, but so far there has been no response.
For the experts, the kidnappers of the Italians and MP belong to different
groups, the first concentrated in the district of Kandhamal, the others in Malkangiri.
Yesterday popular demonstrations were
held in various cities in Orissa demanding the release of Hikaka and two
Italians (see photo).