Bhubaneswar: Negotiations between the mediators and Maoists are set to begin on Thursday. Mediator Dandapani Mohanty has told CNN-IBN that one hostage will be freed on Thursday if two of their 13 demands of the Maoists are met.
The demands include action against officials who violated human rights of tribals and freeing several Maoist sympathisers including Sabyasachi Panda's wife Subhasree Panda.
The Italian hostage Claudio Colangelo who is reportedly ill might be handed over to a select group of journalists by Maoist leader Sabyasachi Panda and set free.
However the second hostage Paolo Bosusco is likely to remain captive by the Maoists as negotiations begin in Bhubaneswar. One of the appointed mediators BD Sharma will be in Bhubaneswar on Thursday and is likely to begin talks with the Maoists.
The extended deadline to give into the Naxals' demands ended on Wednesday evening but the state government is yet to come up with any kind of truce.
Earlier, Odisha Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik also hit out at the Centre for not helping the state in the case. He said that the central government did not do anything to end the hostage crisis.
Two Italians - Puri-based tour operator Paolo Bosusco and tourist Claudio Colangelo - were abducted while trekking in Kandhamal district on March 14.
The two Italians had driven down from Puri and entered a forested area in spite of being warned by the Daringibadi police about the presence of Maoists.
A driver and cook who were accompanying them and their vehicle were released by the Maoists subsequently.
A report from Puri said that the driver, Kartik Parida, and cook, Santosh, were interrogated by the police.
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