Maoists abduct IAS official in Chhatisgarh, 2 guards killed

An IAS official was abducted and two police officials accompanying him were killed by Maoists in the Sukhma district of Chhatisgarh today.

Alex Paul Menon, an IAS officer of the 2006 batch and collector of Sukhma district, was abducted by Maoists while he was returning from an official function today, police officials said.

The collector had attended a official function around 17 km from the district headquarters and was returning around 1600 hours when he was abducted, Additional Director General of Police Ram Nivas told Times Now.

A group of around 10 to 15 Maoists had stopped the collector’s vehicle and abducted him, he said. The collector was reportedly taken away into the surrounding forest area by his abductors.

The two police security personnel who were with Menon at the time of the incident have been killed, police officials said. The condition of the collector is still not known.

When asked if the Sukhma district was an area dominated by the Naxalites, Niwas said,“It is one of the most infested areas of the country. It is a newly carved district from Dantewada district so it is a highly Maoist infested.”

The police has not received any demands from the abductors, the police official said.