Released Italian hostage Colangelo speaks to media, says had a negative experience

Ganjam (Orissa), Mar 25 (ANI): Released Italian hostage Claudio Colangelo on Sunday spoke to mediapersons after the Maoists released him earlier in the day.

After spending eleven days in the deep jungles of Orissa, Colangelo was handed over to mediapersons and brought to Ganjam District.

While addressing Mediapersons here, Colangelo said he had a negative experience in Maoist captivity.

"The experience was a negative one, I would wish no body would have such an experience," he said.

"We were treated well, to be honest they (Maoists) did their best to treat us as good as possible in the given condition," he added.

On being asked why they were abducted, Colangelo said that they Maoists gave several reasons for their abduction.

He denied the accusations that he and Bosusco Paolo, the second Italian hostage, were abducted because of taking objectionable photos of tribal women along a river bank.

Colangelo told reporters that before departing he and Paolo hugged each other and his parting words to Paolo were-"see you in Italy".

Ganjam Supritendent of Police, Rajesh Pandit said he has just met the Colangelo and will try to find out the details. And will hand him over to the Italian Embassy.

After eleven days of captivity, Maoists, on Sunday morning, released one of the two Italian hostages, raising hopes of soon resolving the matter.

The Orissa Government and Maoists negotiators had, on Saturday, suspended the negotiations in the wake of the abduction of Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator Jhina Hikaka yesterday. (ANI)