Collector's abduction: Tamil Nadu Congress MPs meet PM

Concerned over the safety of Sukma Collector Alex Paul Menon who has been abducted by Maoists, Congress MPs from Tamil Nadu  on Thursday met Prime Minister Manmohan Singh and demanded that the Centre should take steps for his immediate release.

A delegation of MPs met Singh in parliament house to convey their concerns over the abduction of Menon, who hails from Tirunelveli district of Tamil Nadu.

The MPs — KS Alagiri, Sudharsana Natchiappan, Ramasubbu, Manicka Tagore, NSV Chithan and Vishwanathan — told Singh that all steps should be taken to ensure that the Collector is set free by Maoists.

32-year-old Menon, a 2006-batch Chhattisgarh-cadre IAS officer, was abducted by Maoists on Saturday in Sukma district in Chhattisgarh.

"We impressed upon the Prime Minister on the steps to be taken for the release of Menon. We also told the Prime Minister that the Collector hails from Tamil Nadu," Tagore said after the meeting.

He also said Singh told the delegation that the Centre was taking all steps for the release of Menon and was working closely with the Chhatisgarh Government.