TURA: A fish trader from neighbouring Assam who was kidnapped in Bajengdoba region of North Garo Hills surfaced in Tura, 76 km away, dazed and disoriented, on Saturday evening.
Fish trader Md. Bablu Ali, of Haldinghat village in Krishnai, Assam, was abducted by suspected Garo militants from Bajengdoba on June 15.
On Saturday evening he approached a police patrol party in Tura bazaar identifying himself as the trader who had been abducted and sought their help.
“He appeared to be totally confused about his surroundings and was nervous. Seeing the police patrol party he walked up to ask them for help,” said police sources from Tura.
He was taken to the main police station in Tura where contact was made with Bajengdoba and Krishnai police stations that confirmed his identity.
Police believe that he was released somewhere on the outskirts of Tura town and had walked from Dobasipara area all the way to the main market as per the description given by the victim.
Despite his week-long captivity he remained unaware of the places he was taken to as he was kept blindfolded most of the time. He was not even sure whether any ransom had been paid by his family to the kidnappers.
The little details obtained from the victim indicate that Md. Bablu Ali had gone to Bajengdoba town, bordering Goalpara district of Assam, along with his younger brother Abdul Ali to sell fish in the market.
After meeting a Garo contact in the market, he sent back his younger brother to Krishnai. It was during the day while he was engaged in trade that two persons came in a car and forcibly took him away.
A medical examination at Tura indicated that he was tortured by his captors.
Abducted quarry manager released unharmed
Meanwhile, the manager of a stone crusher and quarry who was kidnapped from his house in Dobasipara locality of Tura on Wednesday night has been released unharmed in Assam.
Although the manager, Ashok Majumdar, was taken away by motorcycle borne youth from his house the family desisted from filing a police complaint. He was released in neighbouring Assam on Saturday. Meanwhile, police remain clueless over the reported kidnapping of two petty traders of Assam who were taken away from Rimrangpara market in Dalu on Saturday.
“We do not have any input or information about the kidnapping because no one has filed any FIR in this regard,” informed West Garo Hills police.
Kidnappers’ gang operating with militant nexus in Tura
Tura police believe that a gang of kidnappers operating in the region may have their base in the town and are keeping close links with Garo outfits.
Following the release of a fish trader of Assam who was abducted in Bajengdoba and released in Tura and the recent kidnap of a stone quarry manager from the town, police zeroed in on four suspects.
The four were repairing their car in a garage in Dobasipara when police moved in and arrested three suspects while the fourth gave them the slip.
“All three, including the one who escaped, have links to both ANVC-B and UALA. One of them hails from Ampati while the remaining two are from Chunmati area, near Dobasipara,” informed Tura police.
The leader of the group who managed to escape has been identified as ANVC-B cadre Nigam.
Tura police informed that Nigam and the other two were slated to travel to Assam where they were to meet up with an arms dealer to purchase sophisticated weapons including AK rifles. “Two of the arrested men, Betho and Lenus, have said they are ANVC-B cadres and they also use UALA name for their criminal activities to avoid detection,” mentioned police in Tura.