Raipur, May 3 (IANS): A Chhattisgarh government chopper Thursday morning left Raipur for Tarmetla, where Maoist guerillas are expected to release kidnapped Sukma district collector Alex Paul Menon, state govermment sources said.
The chopper is carrying mediators G. Hargopal and B.D. Sharma, who are scheduled to receive Menon in Tarmetla, around 500 km from Raipur.
Menon is expected to be released in the afternoon.
In a message to media organisations Wednesday, the rebels said Menon, in their captivity since April 21, would be handed over to Hargopal and Sharma in the presence of a gathering at Tarmetla.
Tarmetla in Sukma is where the Maoists had killed 76 paramilitary personnel in April 2010.