Bijapur encounter: Maoist letter confirms missing CRPF jawan is being held hostage, demands negotiator

Top security officials have confirmed to India Today TV that the letter sent by Maoists stating they have held the missing CRPF jawan as hostage, is authentic.

The Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) jawan who is missing since the deadly encounter in Chhattisgarh's Bijapur on Saturday, is being held captive by the Maoists. Top sources in the security establishment have confirmed to India Today TV that the letter that they have received, purportedly from the Maoists, is authentic. In the letter, the Maoists have stated that the CRPF jawan is in their captivity and have demanded that the government should appoint a mediator to negotiate his release. In their two-page letter, the Maoists have said the CRPF jawan will be handed over only to the government-appointed mediator.