TURA: A cloth merchant who was taken away at gunpoint by armed rebels from Rongrikkimgre village of Chokpot during a market day last week has been released unharmed near Mitapgre village on Monday morning.
The merchant, Bapi Saha, who hails from Sibbari border village of South Garo Hills was a frequent visitor to the numerous weekly haats (bazar) in the district where he did brisk business in the sale of clothes and other material.
It was during one such trading day at interior Rongrikkimgre last week that he fell victim to Garo rebels believed to be from the banned GNLA.
Taking advantage of the absence of police presence on that market day, the rebels barged in just as trading was starting to kick off and took him away on foot into the forests.
Ransom is believed to have been paid by the family to the militants in return for the safe return of Saha.
As per his statement after his release at Chokpot Mitapgre on Monday morning there were four armed men who kept him in custody in the forest constantly changing their location everyday.
Although he was moved around in the forests his captives never ventured towards human habitation and reportedly blindfolded him at the time of movement.
Since his abduction police have taken into custody as many as 12 suspects from the Chokpot region, including one person who harboured the rebels in his house before the abduction took place.
The ongoing investigation into Saha’s abduction threw light into another sinister plot of the GNLA which had planned to take away three prominent businessmen from Chokpot on that fateful day.
Following a tip off from police about a possible impending abduction the three traders flew the coup before the rebels could arrive on the scene.
Unable to locate the traders the militants are believed to have trained their sights on Rongrikkimgre market where they spotted Bapi Saha engaged in business.
