Maoists release Canadian social worker on bicycle tour through Chhattisgarh

A Canadian social worker on a bicycle tour of Bastar who had gone missing in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Sukma district on Monday and was feared to be in the custody of the rebels was found on Wednesday afternoon, said police.

Updated on: Mar 29, 2017, 18:15:59 IST

Hindustan Times, Raipur | By Ritesh Mishra

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A Canadian social worker on a bicycle tour of Bastar who had gone missing in Chhattisgarh’s Maoist-affected Sukma district on Monday and was feared to be in the custody of the rebels was found on Wednesday afternoon, said police.

Maoists in Chhattisgarh had detained a Canadian social worker, who is on a bicycle tour through the region, after questioning him. (HT File Photo)

A police officer tracking the disappearance of 25-year-old John Szlazak said the Maoists had let him go. Police had sent a team of journalists and teachers inside the forest on Wednesday morning to seek John’s release and one of them found him in jungles of Amarpalli.

“John was released by Maoists and some teachers and local journalists are bringing him to Polampaalli,” said special director general (anti-Naxal operations) DM Awasthi.

John was in the custody of junior cadre of Maoists and they waited for their senior leaders to question him because they are unable to understand what he was saying.

“The Maoists released him after detailed quizzing,” said Awasthi. He added that the Sukma superintendent of police would investigate the case.

John, who was cycling across India, generated an emergency alert on a GPS device installed in his cycle on Monday. His last location was traced near Singanmadgu of south Sukma, near the Odisha border.

South Sukma is considered the most dangerous part of Bastar region and Siganmadgu is a hotbed of Maoists.

Police said John reached Mumbai on February 14 on a tourist visa. On March 14, he left Mumbai for Chhattisgarh on a bicycle and his travel plan was chalked out by a city travel agent, according to a source. John is a member of a Canadian organisation, Immigration Refugees and Citizenship, the source added.

Following his disappearance, external affairs minister Sushma Swaraj tweeted she had spoken to Odisha chief minister Naveen Patnaik, and said John had gone missing from Odisha’s Koraput district, which borders Sukma in Chhattisgarh.

Swaraj had also sought a detailed report from Chhattisgarh government and state officials submitted it on Tuesday afternoon.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Ritesh Mishra
Ritesh Mishra is the State Correspondent for Chhattisgarh with Hindustan Times. He reports on Maoism, internal security, politics, mining, governance, and major developments shaping the state. Based in Raipur, he has covered Chhattisgarh since 2016, reporting extensively from the Bastar region and other conflict-affected areas. With nearly two decades of experience in journalism, Ritesh has built a reputation for ground reporting from some of India's most challenging terrains. His coverage spans Left-Wing Extremism, counter-insurgency operations, elections, tribal affairs, environmental issues, infrastructure, mining, and socio-economic developments. He has reported on major security operations, policy initiatives, wildlife crime, and the changing dynamics of conflict and development in Central India. Before moving to Chhattisgarh, Ritesh spent eight years reporting from Madhya Pradesh, covering politics, administration, crime, development, and social issues. Throughout his career, he has reported on various forms of extremism in Central India, combining field reporting with in-depth analysis to produce accurate, balanced, and impactful journalism. Prior to joining Hindustan Times, Ritesh worked with The Pioneer and The Free Press Journal, where he covered a wide range of beats and honed his skills in political, investigative, and field reporting. His reporting is marked by exclusive stories, extensive fieldwork, and a commitment to factual, on-the-ground journalism that brings complex issues to a wider audience.Read More

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