Maoists abduct district collector in Chhattisgarh

Sukma collector Alex Paul Menon was holding a meeting of villagers at Manjipara village of Keralapal area when,at around 4.30 pm,he was approached by a group of 15 Maoists posing as villagers,police said.

They asked Menon to come with them to a spot deep in the forests to personally inspect the situation there. Menon agreed readily and went with them.

Soon afterward,however,the Maoists assaulted him and forced him to sit on a bike. When his two guards,Amjad Khan and Kishan Kujur,tried to intervene,they slit Khan’s throat and shot Kujur.

Sukma is at the southernmost tip of Bastar,a Maoist stronghold. The district was carved out of Dantewada in January. There is a CRPF camp in Keralapal.

Chhattisgarh Chief Minister Raman Singh told reporters,“Villagers posing as Naxals have abducted the Sukma collector.” DGP Anil M Nawaney said,“We have spoken to the DGs of border states.”

The incident comes weeks after Maoists abducted two Italians and a BJD MLA in Orissa. The Italians have been released,but the MLA continues to be hostage. Last year,Maoists had abducted the collector of neighbouring Malkangiri district.

In all these cases,the Maoists demanded the release of jailed cadres and sympathisers. No such demand has been made so far in the latest abduction.

Yesterday,Maoists attacked the convoy of Bijapur collector Rajat Kumar as he was returning from a village,killing three persons.

Tamil Nadu-based Menon is an IAS officer of the 2006 batch,and in his first tenure as collector. He would often reach out to villages in the interiors,ignoring the Maoist threat. His wife Asha Alex is expecting their baby.

The Centre has asked Chhattisgarh for details of the abduction. Chhattisgarh Home Minister Nanki Ram Kanwar has appealed to the Maoists to release him. Raman Singh said all efforts would be made to get the officer released.

High alert has been sounded in border areas,and more security ordered for the Gram Suraj Abhiyan. A high level meeting was on at the chief minister’s house at press time.