Five Maoists booked at Koraput jail expressed their unwillingness to be released despite being granted bail by the Orissa High Court after the state government decided to withdraw cases against them in the wake of Malkangiri district collector's abduction.

The Maoist leaders demanded the release of 627 tribals lodged in different jails.

"Unless the government starts initiative to free the tribals from jail according to the agreement, we will not avail of the bail," Ganti Prasadam told his lawyer Nihar Patnaik today.

When contacted, Home Secretary U N Behera said, "It is upto them to get released, If they do not want, what more we can do," Behera said.

He claimed the state government was working on the agreements made with mediators before release of Malkangiri collector R V Krishna. "We had committed to start verifying cases against tribals and we are doing that," Behera said.

"I spoke to Ganti Prasadam and others at Koraput jail. They are not ready to be released as the state government is yet to take steps for release of tribals," Patnaik told PTI over phone.

While Ganti was granted bail by the High Court on February 25, four others, including Maoist leader Ramakrishna's wife Padma, Andaluri Eswari, Rosa Mandingi and Gokul Kuldipia were given conditional bail by the same court on March 4.

However, they were not ready to get released due to the two reasons, said Dandapani Mohanty, one of the three mediators who negotiated with the state government for release of Krishna and junior engineer Pabitra Majhi.

This apart, Mohanty said the Maoists were also contemplating to challenge Orissa High Court's grant of conditional bail in the Supreme Court.

Though all the five were booked under same charges, the court granted bail to Ganti Prasadam without any condition while it put stringent conditions for four others, including Padma, the advocate said, adding the Maoists might file a modification petition in the Apex Court.