Maoist Azad & aides admitted to Odisha’s Capital hospital

Odisha Sun Times Bureau 
Bhubaneswar, Apr 6: 

Top Maoist leader Azad and six of his supporters were today admitted to Odisha’s  Capital hospital after their health condition deteriorated on the eighth day of their hunger strike.

Their health condition is under constant monitoring, said a source in Capital hospital.

It may be mentioned here that Azad has been lodged in Jharpada jail since 2011 and it is his fourth fast inside the jail in the past five years.

Following an intervention of Odisha Human Rights Commission (OHRC) on April 2, even though Additional Director General (ADG) – Jail Arun Roy on April 3 said that Azad and the six others would call off their fast by April 4, no solution has been reached so far.

His mother D Kamullama, however, was allowed to call on him on April 4 after being turned down earlier.

Azad along with six of his associates including a woman – Chandrabati Takuruka, Kamalakant Sethi, Ashutosh Soren, Kishore Kumar Jena, Rabi Dulal and Ranjit Sana have been fasting in Jharpada jail demanding early trial of their cases.

They also have also sent a five point charter of demands to the State Government that include filing of case and subsequent appearance in court within 3-6 months of a person’s arrest, refraining from re-arrest when acquitted by a court or out on bail, to be produced in court on the scheduled date and granting them political prisoner status.

They have the backing of 12 other inmates from various other jails in the state including the Bhanjanagar sub-jail.

According to the police, Azad was active member of Bansadhara division of outlawed CPI (Maoist) organisation. He along with six of his comrades have been stationed in Jharpada circle jail in connection with murder of Swami Laxmanananda Saraswati and 2008 Nayagarh police station attack case among others.