With the 24-hour deadline to kill a police sub-inspector, abducted a week ago, set to end a little after midnight, the Chhattisgarh government today stepped up efforts to establish contact with PWG activists who last night released a list of nine demands. Chief Minister Raman Singh has also spoken to his Andhra Pradesh counterpart Y.S. Rajasekhara Reddy, seeking help to end the hostage crisis.Sub-Inspector Prakash Soni was kidnapped last week while he was travelling on Konta Road, which has been closed by the Naxalites to protest against the state government’s move to enact a new law to replace POTA.The outfit’s demands include withdrawal of the CRPF from Bastar, scrapping the state government’s proposal to enact a legislation to replace POTA, release of arrested Naxalites and a probe by a high court judge into ‘‘fake’’ police encounters.State DG of Police O.P. Rathore issued a formal appeal to the Naxalites to release the police officer, saying the government was ready for talks. Soni’s wife Manju has also issued a public appeal, asking the Naxalites to release her husband on humanitarian grounds. She, along with their 14-year-old son Pranjal, met the Chief Minister today.
