TURA: An abducted school teacher has been rescued unharmed by police after a brief exchange of fire with his abductors in Kherapara area in Garo Hills on late Tuesday night.
Lower Primary School teacher Utpal Dey was abducted by gun-totting Garo militants in Karonggre area, on the Tura to Dalu road, while travelling in an auto rickshaw on Monday morning. On Tuesday night, SWAT commandos in a search and cordon operation at Sosotpara area of Kherapara came across the make shift camp of the ASAK militants inside a dense jungle.
The seven-member group of ultras was holed up with their captive Utpal Dey when police raided the hideout.
The hideout was located almost 9 kms inside Kherapara and close to the border with South Garo Hills district, informed Dalu police which took part in the operation.
As the encounter took place, the primary school teacher made a dash for freedom while police pinned down his kidnappers with gunfire. The encounter lasted for approximately five minutes. Seeing their victim slip away, the militants also abandoned their positions and escaped into the forests. “When the firing began our boys spotted the teacher and asked him to make a getaway. They saw him escape,” said district police chief Mukesh Kr Singh.
The teacher, shocked and frightened, managed to reach the main road and ultimately his home in Dalu from where he contacted authorities.
The ASAK group that was behind the abduction of the primary teacher was reportedly led by one Embero Mongting Sangma and included a GNLA deserter known as Goera. Police sources reveal that Goera was arrested some months ago from Purakhasia during an extortion drive and had served a jail term before his release.
The outfit had demanded Rs 20 lakh from the family of the primary school teacher but is believed to have left empty handed following the quick crackdown on them by Garo Hills police.