Swelling support for Alex Paul Menon; Over 2,500 hits on his Facebook page

BHOPAL: Even as efforts are on to secure the release of kidnapped Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon, a page created on the 32-year-old officer by his family and friends, on social networking site Facebook has become a big hit.

The page titled 'Free Alex Paul Menon', till now has already registered more than 2,500 hits, and counting.

One comment says that life should be a torch that will be passed on from one generation to the next and adds that this simple motto drives Paul Menon's life.

"He has been an inspiration to everyone who he meets in the journey of life," the comment says.

It goes on to say that only a few dare to dive in the deepest ocean to get a pearl, while millions watch the dancing waves and points out that Paul Menon wants to be among the handfuls who dare to make a difference and bringing precious pearls of social reforms.

Also, there are a number of photos and posts about news articles on the abduction of Menon for whom the maximum support is coming from his home state, Tamil Nadu.

One person from Tamil Nadu thanked his State Chief Minister, Jayalalitha and her predecessor, M Karunanidhi for talking to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh to secure Menon's release.

Thirty two-year-old Menon hails from Tirunelveli district of south Tamil Nadu and he is the first collector of the newly created Sukma district in Chattisgarh.

Naxals abducted the 2006-batch officer on Saturday from Majhipara village in Chhattisgarh's Raipur district when he was holding a meeting as part of the government's special Gram Suraj Abhiyan.

A day later, the Maoists had set April 25 as deadline which expired yesterday. Their demands included immediate halt to all police action against them and release of eight fellow comrades, including two women even as the state government has appealed the extremists to extend their deadline.