TNI Bureau: A few days after Maoist negotiator Dandapani Mohanty brought similar allegations against the government in Odisha, the Congress Party has claimed that Naveen Patnaik’s government spent Rs 6 crore on the release of former Malkangiri Collector Vineel Krishna and Laxmimur MLA Jhina Hikaka.

According to the Congress, the deal to secure the release of Vineel Krishna was Rs 4 crore, while the BJD government had to spend Rs 2 crore to see Jhina Hikaka free. The party has decided to move the National Investigation Agency (NIA), demanding probe against these deals with Maoists.

Leader of Opposition Bhupinder Singh and Congress Chief Whip in Assembly Prasad Harichandan held a press conference in Bhubaneswar on Sunday to drop this bomb shell and demanded a detailed probe into the links between many BJD leaders and the Maoists.

Earlier, Dandapani Mohanty, who played a key role in securing the release of R Vineel Krishna and Jhina Hikaka, had claimed that Rs 4 crore was paid for the former Malkangiri District Collector. He also revealed that another Rs 2 crore was paid to the Maoists to secure the release of Jhina.