One of two Italians, abducted by Maoist rebels in the eastern Indian state of Orissa, who was released Sunday said "your life gets stolen," but added that he was treated well. Tourist Claudio Colangelo, 61, was released to a team from broadcaster NDTV. Colangelo was captured by the rebels last week along with Paolo Bosusco, 54, who has been living in India for several years.
"It was a negative experience because you get your life stolen. But to be honest, they treated us as well as possible in the given conditions," Colangelo said.
"When I left I told him (Maoist leader Panda) it has not been a pleasure to meet him, but thank you very much for the treatment. "Let's hope Paolo will be released soon. I hope they will understand he has nothing to do with this war," Colangelo said.
He said the two were seized by a group of three or four men carrying guns when they were bathing in a stream. He denied reports that he was taking photographs of tribal women bathing.
Colangelo said he had been held captive for 10 days and would be glad to fly home to his wife and children.
Sabyasachi Panda, the leader of the rebel group that kidnapped the two men, told NDTV correspondent Kishalay Bhattacharya that Bosusco would not be harmed.
Bhattacharya said he and two others had trekked for 16 hours through the jungle to reach the Maoist camp in Kandhamal district. While they were interviewing Panda at the camp, the rebel leader said he was willing to release Colangelo as a goodwill gesture.
The Maoist leader had two main demands to be met for Bosusco's release - the release of imprisoned Maoist rebels and the punishment of policemen charged with custodial death and rape.
Orissa Chief Minister Naveen Patnaik has requested the mediators chosen by the Maoists to continue negotiations. He also appealed to the rebels to release both Bosusco and Jhina Hikaka, 37, a legislator from his Biju Janata Dal party also being held hostage.
"We cannot say anything till we get all details of the release of one Italian and we talk to the government and the Maoists. For now the talks are still suspended," Dandapani Mohanty, one of the negotiators chosen by the rebels, said.
The Italians were the first foreign nationals to be abducted by India's Maoist rebels. The Maoists say they are fighting for the rights of tribal, landless and poor people in some of the country's most-impoverished regions. More than one-third of India's 626 administrative districts are affected by the insurgency.