Maoists in Odisha have set April 25 as the date to try Jhina Hikaka in a kangaroo court amid rumours that the Biju Janata Dal (BJD) legislator - held hostage by the rebels for three weeks - would be released Friday.
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The Maoists said this in a fresh audio message received by TV channels.
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An expert who did not wish to be named believes it is unlikely the rebels will kill the 37-year-old legislator from Laxmipur constituency as he is a tribal and has a tribal support base, but feels they may ask him to resign from the assembly.u00a0
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"They may also place some other demands," he told IANS.
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Hikaka was abducted by the Andhra-Odisha border special zonal committee of the Communist Party of India-Maoist from the district of Koraput March 24.
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The rebels were demanding the release of 29 people in exchange for his release but the government announced that only 13 would be freed.
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The state government Thursday said a total of seven detainees have already filed their bail petitions and four of them have already got bail.u00a0
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It also said two more detainees are also likely to be released soon.
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