Left wing extremism - Bijapur ambush: Naxals release first picture of kidnapped CRPF commando Rakeshwar Singh Minhas
CRPF commando Rakeshwar Singh Minhas was part of a squad that had gone for an anti-Naxal operation in the jungles on the Bijapur-Sukma border on Friday night.
New Delhi: A day after purportedly releasing a statement claiming that they abducted a jawan during a recent gun battle with security forces in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur district, the Maoists on Wednesday released the picture of missing Central Reserve Police Force’s Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) commando Rakeshwar Singh Minhas.
Times Now has accessed the photo that shows the jawan sitting in what looks like a makeshift hut made of palm leaves. The photo was shot while Minhas was in conversation with someone in the camp.
news agency ANI has mentioned CRPF sources as saying: "A photo released by Naxals has been circulating in media, jawan in the photo is missing CoBRA jawan. Appropriate action is being taken."
In a two-page statement reportedly issued in the name of Vikalp, the spokesperson of the Dandakaranya Special Zonal Committee (DKSZC) of the CPI (Maoists), it was claimed that the abducted jawan would be handed over to the police after mediation. For this, Maoists sought the nomination of some mediators for Minhas’ release.
Meanwhile, Inspector General of Police (Bastar range) Sundarraj P told news agency PTI: "The authenticity of the statement issued by Maoists claiming that they have held hostage the jawan is being verified. Further action will be taken accordingly."
In the meantime, the wife of the CRPF jawan said that her family wants the government to look for a mediator so that her husband could be released.
"If a jawan reports to his duty a day after his leave ends, action is taken against him. Now that a jawan is missing since April 3, no action has been taken by the government. We want the government to search for a mediator so that he is released," said Meenu.
Twenty-two personnel from various security forces like the CoBRA of the CRPF, its Bastariya battalion and those from the District Reserve Guard (DRG) and Special Task Force (STF) of the Chhattisgarh Police were killed in the ambush that occurred along the Bijapur-Sukma border on Saturday.
Rakeshwar Singh Minhas, who belongs to the 210th CoBRA battalion, went missing after the gunfight that started after a joint team of CRPF and Chhattisgarh Police's DRG and STF personnel reached the spot following the tip-off regarding the presence of wanted Maoist Madvi Hidma and his associates. Hidma reportedly heads the Peoples Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) battalion no 1.
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