"We want the Nirmala Buch committee, set up to review the cases, should be take up on a fast track mode the cases of tribals in the entire region and release as many as possible-- where the cases are minor and even where the cases are stronger because they are tribals," they said.
The mediators--Prof G Hargopal and B D Sharma-- told reporters a day after the release of Collector Alex Paul Menon by the Maoists that the committee, headed by Buch, one of the two state government negoatiators, had started its work this morning.
On the demand for release of some jailed Maoists, Hargopal said the government should consider specially the release of those persons against whom there were least number of cases.
He also said the committee should take up the case of a woman Maoist who had been acquitted in all the cases against her but had been arrested again.
Sharma said there was list of 400 jailed tribals and all these cases should taken up together for review by the committee.
32-year-old 2006-batch IAS officer Menon, abducted on April 21 at Sukma, about 450 km from here, while touring a village, was handed over to the two Maoist mediators at Tadmetla yesterday evening and brought by road to the CRPF base camp at Chintalnar, a 30-minute drive by road. The officer reached his home today.
Hargopal said the state government had made it clear during the negotiation process that unless the Collector was released, it would not be able to promise anything.
"Now that the Collector has been released, whatever demands have been made by the Maoists will be taken up by the Buch committee," he said, adding that issues which had been put on paper and those made informally by the state authorities would be dealt with. (More) PTI SC