TURA/SHILLONG: While for militants and miscreants in Garo Hills, kidnapping has become a lucrative industry, there is no end to the plight and agony of kidnapped persons and families due to the unending saga of abductions.
A senior teacher from Gasuapara high school in south Garo hills district remains un-traced following his abduction by armed men from his home in the border village a few days ago.
Master Agar Bakshi was taken away at gunpoint by armed men recently and his whereabouts remain unknown till this day, while for the family, it is an anxious wait.
Meanwhile, a contractor Prebithson D Sangma and three of his workers, Pankaj Nath, Animesh Hajong and Guruprasad Nath, were abducted on Monday afternoon from their work site at Chisikgre village, on the Tura-Kherapara road.
Police suspect the involvement of petty criminals in the abduction of the four persons.
In another abduction case, two Assam based areca nut traders who had been kidnapped while visiting Chokpot region of south Garo Hills last week have been released unharmed by the GNLA.
Both victims reached Mankachar town safely on Wednesday and police sources reveal that they had to pay Rs 3 lakh to the GNLA for their safe return home.
Earlier, reports have said that two young boys from Kalapani area of Mankachar in Assam who were kidnapped by an armed gang on Tuesday evening were abandoned by their captors after Ampati police closed in on them in a swift operation leading to their rescue on Wednesday evening. The two teenagers along with a friend had entered South West Garo Hills district on a motorcycle from Kalapani area on Tuesday evening to meet a potential buyer for their two wheeler. When they reached Balapara village a five member armed gang lay in wait for them and quickly took into their custody 14 year old Musadar Hussain and bike owner Liahat Ali.
The gang released the third victim Asaful (18) to return to their home village of Jhangal block under Kalapani outpost of Assam the same evening so as to inform the families of the two kidnapped boys to arrange for ransom.
As news spread about the abduction and tension began to simmer on the Assam side, Ampati police launched a series of search operations. They zeroed in on a place not far from Balapara itself where the gang was keeping the two boys captive. As police teams approached the suspected hideout of the group at around 5 PM on Wednesday, the criminals panicked and fled from the scene leaving behind their two victims who were taken into safe custody by the police teams soon after.
Many unreported cases: Two legislators from Garo Hills, Nihim D Shira (NPP) and Saleng Sangma (Ind), who are camping in Shillong for the ongoing Assembly session, narrated the un reported cases of missing persons who were abducted by militants or miscreants.
“A widow was kidnapped from Rimrangpara in West Garo Hills and her whereabouts is not known for almost two months. Her two children, one aged 10 and another 5 are helpless”, Saleng said on Wednesday. The legislator said that he was trying to help the children to get accommodation in any of the hostels or homes being looked after by the missionaries.
Another case was that of a missing driver of a vehicle carrying broiler chicken from Kherapara to Rimrangpara in the same district recently.
Nihim Shira informed that a few days ago, one Dilip Tapa, a shopkeeper at Songsak bazaar was kidnapped while he was on his way back home with his wife. The kidnappers demanded Rs 30 lakh for the release of the trader, Shira said.Moreover, for the release of four drivers, who were kidnapped from Dalu-Tura road on Tuesday, the abductors had demanded Rs 1 crore
The legislators said that they will meet DGP Rajiv Mehta seeking action to put an end to the unending saga of abductions . They have also decided to write to the Meghalaya Governor seeking his intervention.