TURA: Three vegetable vendors from Assam who happened to travel on the isolated Ampati-Salmanpara road in South West Garo Hills District late in the night have been allegedly abducted.
The three men, all hailing from Jordanga village of Mankachar in South Salmara district disappeared on the intervening night of February 5th and 6th.
Their families came to know of their abduction only on Saturday when the kidnappers called and sought ransom.
Ampati police, on being alerted, immediately swung into action and located the three-wheeler tempo used by the traders abandoned in a isolated forest area on the road between Salmanpara and Ampati.
The kidnapped men have been identified as Masidul Islam (24), Bipul Miah (24) and Aptar Hussian (18).
South West Garo Hills SP Rituraj Ravi informed that several suspects have been identified and combing operations were on to nab them and rescue the kidnapped trio. The abduction is believed to be the handiwork of a local criminal gang.
Despite the isolated road and recent cases of abduction of traders by petty criminals in different parts of the region, the three vegetable vendors threw all caution to the winds and went ahead with their midnight journey from Mankachar on that fateful night as one of them reportedly drove the vehicle with the other two seated alongside, their carrier loaded with fresh vegetables which they planned to sell at different weekly market haats from Salmanpara all the way to Dalu border region.
