379 Maoists on hunger strike in Chhattisgarh jail
By IANSWednesday, January 12, 2011
RAIPUR - As many as 379 Maoists lodged in a jail in Chhattisgarhs insurgency-hit Dantewada district continued their hunger strike for the second day Wednesday, demanding that they be released as they had been held on “false charges”.
“Their demands are quite surprising… they are seeking bail claiming to be arrested on false charges and also demanding that police should not arrest tribal people in name of Naxalites,” Dantewada District Colector R. Prashanna told IANS over phone.
The Dantewada jail is located about 380 km south of state capital Raipur and it has presently 589 inmates as against the capacity of just 150, including four convicted Maoists and 375 under-trails who were held on charges of links to Maoists.
The Dantewada jail had hit headlines in December 2007 when a group of Maoist inmates broke open the jail and 299 inmates, including dozens of hardcore rebels, escaped.
