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Three engineers of Hyderabad firm abducted in Meghalaya
Continuing
their kidnapping spree, the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army
(GNLA) Saturday abducted three road engineers of a Hyderabad-based
road construction company in insurgency-ravaged Garo Hills in
western Meghalaya.
Manoj Kumar, Deepak Kumar
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Shillong: Security forces have launched an operation in western Meghalaya to rescue five people, including three road engineers of
a Hyderabad-based road construction company, abducted by rebels of
the outlawed Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), an official
said Sunday.
Heavily armed rebels Saturday abducted Manoj Kumar, Deepak Kumar
and A.K. Sharma, engineers of the BSC-C & C (JV) road construction
company, from Dambu Aga Reserve Forest area in East Garo Hills
district.
Earlier on Friday, the GNLA rebels kidnapped two ginger
businessmen - Inadul Islam and Mosa Bapari - from Damal Asim in
West Garo Hills district.
"The search operation is on and the whereabouts of the hostages
are still unknown," Meghalaya Police chief N. Ramachandran told
IANS, after paying tributes to police martyrs at a function here
Sunday to mark the Police Commemoration Day.
Combat Battalion for Resolute Action (CoBRA) and Meghalaya's
Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) commandos have been pressed
into service to trace the hostages.
Intelligence agencies and the state police officials strongly
believed that GNLA rebels had kidnapped the three engineers and
the ginger businessmen for ransom.
The Hyderabad-based firm was engaged in constructing a two-lane
94-km road at an estimated Rs.1,494 crore to connect Shillong to
Tura, the most important town in Garo Hills region via Nongstoin,
the district headquarters of West Khasi Hills.
The outfit had reportedly sent extortion demands amounting to
crores of rupees to the Hyderabad-based firm.
IANS was unable to reach BSC-C & C (JV) officials to confirm
whether the outlawed Garo outfit had served any extortion note.
"We have not got any information whether the GNLA has contacted
the family members of the businessmen and the Hyderabad-based firm
for ransom," Ramachandran said.
Admitting that the GNLA rebels were on a kidnapping spree, the
Meghalaya police chief said the prime motive of the GNLA was to
make quick money.
"The situation is very much under control and I appeal to the
people of the state, especially in Garo Hills, not to extend any
support or sympathise with these outfits as their main intention
is to make money," Ramachandran said.
The GNLA, which has over 200 rebels in its fold, wants Garoland
carved out of five impoverished districts of Garo Hills.
Over 35 people, including security personnel, were killed and more
than 30 people were abducted for ransom in the area last year by
GNLA rebels.
The GNLA has over 200 rebels, including a few women cadre. The
outfit has reportedly procured a cache of HK 53 rifles and
explosives to augment their arsenal.
The outfit has earlier attempted to extort huge sums of money --
ranging from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.1 crore -- from government officials,
ministers, legislators and businessmen.
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