No information of Sukma Collector Menon

     Raipur, April 22, 2012: Even after a day, the government was clueless about the whereabouts of the Sukma District Collector Alex V F Paul Menon V, who was kidnapped yesterday by Maoist guerrillas on gun point after killing both his body guards.

     “We have no information as on Sunday about Menon,” State Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar  said.

     Talking to ChhattisgarhTopNews.Com Kanwar said “the Maoists have also not yet put forth any demand for the release of the Collector.”

     Since Menon was working hard for the welfare of the underdeveloped Sukma area, no one had ever thought that he could be kidnapped by the Maoists, the Home Minister said adding looking into his good work, the Government was sure the Maoists would not do any harm to him.

     “However, we are appealing to the Maoists to release the Collector unharmed,” the Home Minister said here.

     “It is a very unfortunate incident, and the government will do everything to secure the release of the Collector,” Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh told reporters.

     Meanwhile, Asha Menon, wife of the District Collector, has appealed to the Maoists to release her husband unharmed.

     “My husband is unwell and he does not have enough medicines with him. I appeal to the Maoists to release my husband unharmed,” Asha told reporters at Sukma, where her husband is posted.

     When the Indian Administrative Service officer was on a tour of the Majhipara area in Sukma District, he was confronted by the Maoists guerrilla and after exchange of fire, the civil servant was kidnapped by Maoists, officials said.

     Born on February 05, 1980, Alex V F Paul Menon V is a BE (Electronics) and Communication Engineer with Master Degree (MA) in Public Policy.

     He is a native of Tamil Nadu and joined the Indian Administrative Service in 2006.

     The IAS officer took over charges of Collector of the hyper sensitive Sukma district on November 16, 2011.

     After abduction of two Italian tourists from neighbouring state of Orissa, the Maoists had also kidnapped an elected people’s representative from the same state Jhina Hikaka and the Saturday kidnapping incident in Chhattisgarh pushed the state administration in to a crisis.

     Meanwhile, the Chhattisgarh Director General of Police Anil M Navaney said on Sunday he had spoken to the neighbouring states, including Orissa and Andhra Pradesh, requesting them to keep a watch on the movement of the Maoists in their areas, for the safe release of the officer.