‘It is Diwali for us,’ says mother of CRPF commando freed by Maoists

It was nothing short of Diwali at Rakeshwar Singh Manhas’ house located Jammu’s in Lower Barnai after the kin of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) commando learnt about his release

from the Maoists on Thursday. Manhas, 35, went missing during a deadly encounter in Chhattisgarh’s Bijapur on Saturday.

“I am very happy. I can’t explain my happiness. We have come to know from media reports. Some CRPF officers had also come to convey to us the message and we are really very happy. He has

come back just how wing commander Abhinandan Varthaman was freed,” his wife, Meenu, said.

Manhas’ mother, who was in tears, said, “we are waiting eagerly for him to come home. It is Diwali for us”.

The commando’s five-year-old daughter said, “God has sent my father back. I am very happy.”

Superintendent of Police (SP) in Sukma, KL Dhruw confirmed Manhas’ release saying, “I have got to know that he has been freed. This is confirmed.”

According to reports, Soni Sori, a social activist from Bastar, was in talks with the Maoists for Manhas’ release.

Manhas’ family members and relatives distributed sweets to everyone present in the house. The moment Manhas’ images were aired by TV channels, his family, relatives and friends started

shouting slogans like “PM Modi Zindabad (long live PM Modi” “home minister Amit Shah Zindabad (long live home minister Amit Shah)” and “Bharat Mata Ki Jai (all hail mother India).”

The family and relatives expressed their gratitude towards PM Modi, home minister Amit Shah and the Chattisgarh government for all their efforts to ensure a safe release of Manhas.

The family lit ‘Akhand Jyoti’ before the local deities in their pooja room (place of worship) of their house ever since Manhas’ capture.

According to people privy to the developments, Manhas was reportedly brought to a camp in Tarrem — the area where the encounter took place - where he underwent health checkups.

Manhas had joined the CRPF in March 2011 and got married in 2014. The couple has a five-year-old daughter.

A CRPF jawan, Manhas was transferred to Chattisgarh three months ago. Earlier he was posted in Assam.

As many as 22 jawans were killed and around 31 sustained injuries in the encounter with Maoists in Chhattisgarh on Saturday. Security forces launched an operation along the Sukma-Bijapur

border, where an intense face-off resulted in the deaths of 22 jawans.