RAIPUR: When Dharampal Saini, 91, and Telam Boraiyya, 71, got a phone call from the police on April 5 seeking their help in securing the release of CRPF jawan, Rakeshwar Singh Manhas, they were unsure of how to react owing to their advanced age. But the next day when they came to know that the Maoists, who had taken the CoBRA commando captive on April 3 following a fierce encounter in the jungles of Bijapur in south Bastar, wanted some mediators to negotiate the release of Manhas, both readily agreed.
“On April 5 I was contacted by the police. They said they want to involve me in a dialogue with the Maoists. I asked them the subject of negotiations. The next day I learnt about the Maoists’ demand through the media that they will only release the jawan to some mediators so I agreed,” said Saini, or Tauji as he is popularly known.
The five-year-old daughter of a CoBRA commando has appealed for the release of her father, reportedly held hostage by Maoists in Chhattisgarh after an ambush on Saturday, news agency Press Trust of India reported.
Terrorists attack CRPF party in Handwara of North Kashmir
In a major Maoist attack last week, a total of 22 security personnel were killed and 31 injured in a fierce gun battle with a platoon of over 300 People s Liberation Guerrilla Army (PLGA) in Chhattisgarh s Bijapur district, officials said. Central Reserve Police Force s (CRPFs) Rakeshwar Singh Manhas from the 3.25 lakh strong paramilitary force s elite CoBRA (Commando Battalion for Resolute Action) unit went missing, and per latest reports, he is in the captivity of Maoists.
Bijapur Superintendent of police Kamlochan Kashyap said the search efforts to trace the commando are underway. But the wife of the missing jawan broke down while sharing her grievance and appealing to Prime Minister Narendra Modi to bring back her husband. Meenu Manhas, while speaking to media, urged PM Modi to bring back her husband like how Wing Commander Abhinandan Varthaman was brought back from Pakistan in February 2019.