Abducted CoBRA commando released by Naxals

A CoBRA commando abducted by Naxals after the Bijapur ambush in Chhattisgarh on April 3 was released on Thursday with a video showing armed Maoists untying him in the presence of hundreds of villagers, officials said.

Bastar Inspector General of Police Sundarraj P said 34-year-old constable Rakeshwar Singh Manhas of the 210th Commando Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) was freed by the Maoists and he reached the "Tarrem police station safely around 4:30 PM along with the facilitators, who went inside the jungle to trace out his location".

The Central Reserve Police Force said in a statement that the jawan is in "good health and he has been subjected to mandatory detailed health check-up immediately after his release".

"His family members have been informed. The constable talked to his family members telephonically (in Jammu)," the Chhattisgarh sector of the force said in a statement.

Manhas had joined the CRPF in 2011.

A state government statement said Manhas was released due to the efforts of social worker Padma Shri Dharampal Saini, Mata Rukmani Ashram Jagdalpur, another person Telam Boraiyya and senior officials of Adivasi Samaj, Bijapur.

It added that local journalists like Ganesh Mishra and Mukesh Chandrakar also played a vital role in the release of the commando.

In a telephonic conversation, Union Home Minister Amit Shah enquired about constable Manhas' wellbeing, a home ministry official said.

A state government spokesperson said Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Bhupesh Baghel has expressed his happiness over the release of the jawan and thanked those who made it happen.

In a video of the release, at least 2 armed Maoists with their faces covered were seen untying the arms of Manhas from a yellow-coloured rope as hundreds of locals can be seen sitting around.

The mediators and journalists were also present at the spot.

Pictures shared by security officials showed Manhas wearing his green coloured jungle combat dress and standing with at least four "mediators" with a number of locals sitting in the forested background.

Another picture showed the commando riding pillion on a motorbike with a local journalist while an another photo showed a scribe clicking selfie with him.

Manhas, officials said, was later handed over to CRPF's Deputy Inspector General (Bijapur) Komal Singh at the Basaguda camp.

They said he will be kept at the camp and will soon be put through a "debriefing" session to understand the circumstances as to how he was taken away by the Maoists and what happened with him during the custody.

Officials had said that the 'buddy' of Manhas had told officers that the jawan sat down exhausted during the ambush while on their way back to their camp on the fateful day.

A heavy exchange of gunfire is cited as the probable reason for the commando getting detached from his unit and buddy.

The CoBRA is the specialised unit of the CRPF that was raised in 2009 to undertake intelligence-based operations against Maoists and insurgents in the north east.

Twenty-two security personnel were killed while 31 were injured in the deadly ambush that took place on April 3 near the Tekalgudem village along the Bijapur-Sukma district border.