All party meeting appeals Maoists to release Sukma Collector

     Raipur, April 23, 2012: An all party meeting here in Chhattisgarh capital today appealed to the Maoists to release Sukma Collector Alex V F Paul Menon V unharmed, who was abducted by the left wing extremists on April 21, last.

     The all party meeting appealed to the Maoists to release the Collector unharmed and unanimously said any issue can be resolved through talk in a democracy.

     On humanitarian ground and keeping in mind the high democratic values the meeting appealed to the Maoists to release Menon, a state government release said here after an all party meeting at the state Secretariat.

     Chief Secretary Sunil Kumar briefed the leaders of various political parties about the steps the government was taking to secure the release of the IAS officer.

     When the 2006-batch IAS officer was on a tour of the Majhipara area in Sukma District on April 21 during Gram Suraj Abhiyan, he was confronted by the Maoists guerrilla and after exchange of fire, the civil servant was kidnapped by Maoists after killing both his body guards.

     The government was in touch with the Centre and the neighbouring states, including Union Home Minister P Chidambaram, Orissa Chief Minister Navin Patnaik and Andhra Pradesh Governor ESL Narasimhan, after the Sukma collector was kidnapped from Majhipara area of Sukma district on April 21, the release said.

     Besides Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh, PCC President Nand Kumar Patel, Leader of Opposition Ravindra Choubey, BJP State President Ram Sewak Painkra, NCP President Novel Verma, CPI Leader Manish Kunjam, C R Bakshi, CPM State Secretary M K Nandi, B Sanyal among others had attended the meeting.