Maoists released one Italian hostage on Sunday. The released hostage, Claudia Colangelo, was abducted by the Maoists led by Sabyasachi Panda on March 14 along with another Italian Bosusco Paolo and two Indians.

The 61-year-old Colangelo, who was not keeping well, was handed over to a group of three journalists near Kandhamal. The Maoists also climbed down from their 13 demands for the release of the abducted Italians and have put forward just two conditions.

The journalists took Colangelo to the Surada Police Station and handed him over to the police. Kandhamal Superintendent of Police Jai Narayan Pankaj said that police would ascertain the details from Colangelo after which he would be handed over to the Italian Embassy.

Panda did not release Paolo and demanded that five Maoist leaders including his wife, Subhashree Panda, be released and actions be taken against police officers who are charged with rape, custodial deaths and violence against tribals and villagers.

Maoist negotiators engaged to end the Italian hostage crisis – BD Sharma and Dandapani Mohanty – expressed hope that the crisis would end soon and Paolo would also be released. Earlier, both Sharma and Mohanty had pulled out of the negotiations after the rebels abducted BJD MLA from Laxmipur, Jhina Hikaka on Saturday.