A file picture of Alex Paul Menon. (AFP)

Raipur, April 23: The Chhattisgarh government is in a fix over whom to talk to after Maoists on Sunday night put forth their list of demands for the safe release of Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon.

Sources said the Raman Singh-led Chhattisgarh government was looking to Odisha for help, as mediators there had recently negotiated the release of two abducted Italian nationals from Maoist captivity.

The rebels had given Wednesday as the deadline for the fulfilment of their demands.

The 32-year-old IAS officer of the 2006 batch was abducted by the Maoists on Saturday evening from Manjhipara in Sukma district where Menon is the district collector. On Sunday night, the rebels released their list of demands in exchange for Menon.

The media got a recorded call purportedly from the Maoists saying that Menon had been kidnapped by them and that they wanted eight Maoists lodged in various jails to be set free. They also wanted anti-Moist operations in the state to be abandoned.

As the Maoist message hogged the headlines, the state government swung into action and convened a high-level meeting of the state cabinet at night to discuss the government strategy.

The authorities are, however, in a fix over the authenticity of the message. “The message was received by the media and not government officials, and so, we need to verify the authenticity of the statement,” a senior police officer involved in the operations to free Menon said.

The authorities were expecting the rebels to send them a message officially, senior police officers said.

The major concern for the state government at this juncture is whom it should talk to. The rebels had given a statement to the media but did not name or authorise any person with whom the state government could start talks with, the officers said.

The rebels have given a deadline of April 25, but there was no hint of a mediator with whom the state government could start talks.

The Chhattisgarh government is looking to help from Odisha for help in resolving the crisis.

Officials said they were trying to establish contact with the persons (former bureaucrat B.D. Sharma and activist Dandapani Mohanty) who conducted negotiations with the Odisha government for the safe release of Italian nationals Paolo Bosusco and Claudio Colangelo.

The government is exploring both official and unofficial sources to reach the Maoists and start the negotiation.

“We will not mind even if the media takes the initiative and acts as mediator,” chief minister Raman Singh said.

Before taking a final call on the issue, the state government is willing to take the Opposition parties into confidence so that the decision they take does not boomerang. An all-party meeting has been convened later in the evening to discuss the issue.