TURA: Abducted businessman and trader from Adokgre, Batchu Jain, has been released unharmed by his militant captors in an isolated area of North Garo Hills early Monday morning, a week after he was taken away at gunpoint while travelling to his home in neighbouring Assam’s Dhupdhara town.
The banned GNLA is the prime suspect in the kidnapping of the trader and following the incident shops and business houses closed down for a day in protest, last week.
Police sources reveal that the trader was released by GNLA militants after his family allegedly paid a ransom of Rs 2.5 lakh on Sunday following which the banned outfit let him off at an isolated spot somewhere along the Assam-North Garo Hills border between 3-4 AM.
North Garo Hills police were unable to question him as the family of the victim had quickly taken him away to Guwahati within hours of his release on Monday.
It is believed that the militants behind the abduction were compelled to release him early on the directions of the GNLA high command due to the pressure mounted on them from the ongoing police operations to flush them out.
Batchu Jain was returning to his home town in Dhupdhara town of Assam along with some friends in a private Maruti Van when armed Garo militants waylaid them, 30 meters inside Assam territory, and took him away in a Maruti car towards the dense forests of Garo Hills. He is believed to have been served with a demand note by the GNLA sometime ago, but reportedly did not comply with their demands.
Kidnapped victim released in Shallang: Meanwhile, a person who was kidnapped from Shallang area of West Khasi Hills was released unharmed on Sunday by a gang of criminals after police reportedly launched an operation in the area to rescue him.
Waldik N Sangma, who hailed from Dymmit village under Shallang PS in West Khasi Hills, had recently been taken captive by a gang of armed criminals posing as Garo militants.
Police operations launched in the vicinity of West and South West Khasi Hills and neighbouring East Garo Hills forced the abductors to flee police retaliation and in the process release their captive unharmed on Sunday night.
Police sources reveal that the kidnappers released their victim without receiving any ransom. Police have also identified the group as a bunch of petty criminals who in the guise of militant outfits were spreading terror by indulging in abductions.
