Manish Kunjam rushes with medicines for Sukma DM

     Raipur, Sukma, April 24, 2012: Former CPI MLA Manish Kunjam today met the wife of Sukma Collector Alex V F Paul Menon V, who has been kidnapped by Maoists on April 21, and collected medicines for her husband.

     The State Government is concerned about the health condition of Menon, Chief Minister Dr Raman Singh told reporters at Raipur.

     Looking into the condition, the government had decided to take the help of Kunjam, Singh said adding the CPI leader had reached Sukma and after meeting the wife of the kidnapped collector, he would leave for the forest to hand over the medicines.

     Secretary of the Bastar Divisional Committee of the CPI (Maoists) Vijay Madkam in a mail to BBC Raipur yesterday appealed to the wife of the Collector Asha Menon, his relatives and friends and IAS officers association to send medicines stating that the health condition of the Collector was “critical”.

     Meanwhile, talking to reporters at Sukma, Kunjam refused to become a mediator for the talk to release the Sukma Collector Menon.

     However, he said on the request of the State Government he was ready to take medicines for Menon.

     He said he would go to Tadmetla and hand over the medicines for the Sukma Collector.

     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.