As negotiations between Maoist- handpicked mediators and those of the Chhattisgarh government resumed on the second day to end the hostage crisis involving abducted Sukma Collector Alex Paul Menon, Naxals on Friday made fresh demands for the release of nine of their jailed leaders.

Chief minister Raman Singh's principal secretary N Brijendra Kumar told PTI that the state government has received a fax from Naxals, demanding the release of a total of 17 Maoists.

Earlier, they had demanded release of eight of their comrades including two women besides asking the government to halt the anti-Maoist offensive "Operation Green Hunt" and sending security forces in Bastar to barracks.

Meanwhile, official sources said that day two of mediators' talks to secure the safe and early freedom of the 32-year-old IAS officer, resumed at the Pahuna guest house here, after Thursday's negotiations, remained inconclusive.

The government's side is being represented by former Chief Secretaries of Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh Nirmala Buch and S K Mishra while the Maoists' nominees are former National SC/ST Commission Chairperson B D Sharma and Prof G Hargopal.

On Thursday, both sides had described the exercise as "positive".

Buch had said that though there was no outcome of the meeting that went on for three hours yesterday, the government was confident about the quick resolution of the 6-day hostage crisis. Hargopal had said that the talks were preliminary in nature but "positive".

Naxals abducted Sukma Collector Menon from Majhipara village when he was holding a meeting as part of the government's special Gram Suraj Abhiyan on April 21.