Lower-rung officials of the Chhattisgarh government posted in remote places in Bastar region, a Naxal stronghold, have been forced to attend meetings convened by Maoists in their areas, intelligence r

A day after reuniting with his family after spending 13 days in Maoist custody, Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon on Saturday spoke his mind for the first time on the incident, saying, “I could not ever imagine that the kidnapping would be done in such a brutal fashion, striking terror in the hearts of the ordinary poor tribals of Manjhipara who had assembled with all hopes around me”.

Two Maoist mediators on Friday virtually contested chief minister Raman Singh’s denial of any swap deal with Naxals to secure Sukma district collector Alex Paul Meon’s release from Maoist custody, saying that “there was an understanding to release 3 Maoists” in exchange of the IAS officer’s freedom.

Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon walked free Thursday afternoon after 13 days in Maoist custody. The Maoists handed him over to their two mediators — social activist B.D. Sharma and Prof. Hargopal, a Hyderabad-based academic — in the media’s presence at Tadmetla forest in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.

Chhattisgarh chief minister Raman Singh on Thursday evening announced the constitution of the high-power standing committee to review cases of all undertrials, including Naxals, exactly an hour after Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon was released by Maoists in Tadmetla forest in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district.

Two Maoist mediators — former bureaucrat B.D. Sharma and Hyderabad-based academician Prof. Hargopal — are scheduled to reach Tadmetla in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district on Thursday to get the abduct

Ending the 11-day-old suspense over fate of the abducted Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon, held hostage by the Naxals since April 21, the Maoists on Tuesday evening said they will release him on May 3.

In a late Monday evening twist to the hostage crisis involving Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon, mediators nominated by the Chhattisgarh government and Maoists reached a consensus on four major issues, raising hope for the early release of the IAS officer who has been in Naxal captivity since April 21.

Hope of an early release of abducted Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon appeared to have dimmed on Sunday, with Naxals rejecting the proposals given by the Chhattisgarh government to meet their demands in exchange of the IAS officer’s freedom.

A three-member Naxal group led by CPI (Maoist) South Bastar Regional Committee secretary Ramana, alias Ravulu Srinivas, reportedly held talks with their two interlocutors in Tadmetla forest, in Chhattisgarh’s Dantewada district, on Saturday night to decide the fate of Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon, in Naxal captivity since April 21.