Dantewada (Chhattisgarh): Alex Paul Menon, an IAS officer posted in Chhattisgarh Thursday refused to recognize his alleged kidnapper Naxalite Akash alias Hemla Bhima who had abducted him in 2012 when Menon was posted as District Collector Sukma. Bhima who was arrested in 2016 was presented before the NIA court on Wednesday.
Alex said in his statement that "the incident is very old". "That's why I will not be able to recognize accused Ganesh Uike, Ramanna, Papa Rao, Vijay Madkam Akash, Hungi, Urmila, Malla, Nilesh, Hidma, Hemla Bhima alias Akash, Mukesh Bhima, Deva, and 125 other Naxalites in future," he said. On 21 April 2012, Alex was abducted at about 4:30 pm when he was returning from a village meeting.
A group of between 15 and 20 Maoists stopped his entourage at Manjipara village, about 8 km from Kerlapal, a village on National Highway 221. Maoists also killed two personal security officers who accompanied the Collector. The Naxalites released him after 13 days. A woman Nirmalakka alias Vijay Lakshmi, who remained imprisoned for the last 12 years in the Central Jail of Bastar, in the same abduction case, was released 4 years ago by the Dantewada Fast Track Court after police had failed to present enough evidence to frame charges against her.
Menon, named after famous politician V. K. Krishna Menon by his father who was affiliated with Indian National Congress, did electronics engineering from Madurai Kamaraj University and earned a Master's degree in public policy.
