It was on the advice of Maoist leader Kishenji that abducted Office-in-Charge Atindranath Dutta’s family went to the Writers’ Buildings and met Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee. The O-C’s father, Ashoke Dutta, had got in touch with the Maoist leader through a local news channel and the latter assured him of his son’s safety and asked him to meet the CM. When Dutta’s family — wife Indrani, father Ashoke, mother Chanda, father-in-law Rajen Dutta and brother-in-law Sanjib Dutta — met the chief minister they had only one plea: Don’t do anything that could endanger the officer’s life.

The chief minister too had planned to visit Dutta’s home in Belur in the morning but before he could leave his office, he was informed that the family was waiting outside the Writers’ to meet him.

After meeting Bhattacharjee, a sobbing Indrani appealed to the Maoists to release her husband. “I appeal to the Maoists to release my husband because he has never done any harm to anybody,” she said.

The Maoist leader, meanwhile, said he was ready to arrange a meeting between the officer and his family. “Let the family come to Midnapore and get in touch with me and I will arrange a meeting of them,” Kishenji told a local news channel. But the family members said that they had not heard anything from anyone. “We are dying to meet him but have not heard anything,” said Sanjib.