RAIPUR: The Canadian national who was allegedly abducted by the sangham members (village-level supporters who constitute lower cadres of Naxals) from Kistaram area of Sukma district, south Chhattisgarh, was released on Wednesday evening, said police sources.
John Szlazak was reportedly kept captive by the members of the outlawed CPI (Maoist) since Sunday night.
During a police interrogation at Sukma, Szlazak said he was not treated badly by Maoists during the captivity.
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He was let-off by the rebels near the forested terrain of Arnampalli on Wednesday evening and was accompanied by some local residents and few media-persons to Sukma district headquarters.
According to sources, the sangham members, who usually speak and understand local Gondi and Halbi dialects, failed to comprehend the language of Szlazak, and took him to their senior leaders.
The Maoist leaders who knew English, conversed with Szlazak and after interrogating the foreigner instructed their cadres to release him.
Szlazak further told the police that during the first two days in captivity he was cross-examined and later taken from one village to another -- the usual practice followed by the Red brigade.
The Canadian national will stay at Sukma overnight and will be questioned further on Thursday at Jagdalpur, the police said.
He had travelled to Telangana state from Mumbai before crossing the inter-state border on bicycle to reach Sukma. Reportedly, John had generated an emergency alert on a GPS system installed in his bicycle that helped the police trace him to the remote forested terrain of Sukma village on Tuesday.
“It was on early Tuesday that John came under our radar and we worked out the plan to bring him back without the use of security forces. It was a relief to know that he was safe”, the Bastar deputy inspector general P Sunderraj said.