TURA, May 8: In a swift reaction on the part of North Garo Hills police, a criminal gang behind the abduction of two labourers was busted and the victims rescued unharmed on Friday evening.
The events of the abduction and rescue unfolded early Thursday morning at around 3:30 AM when three men carrying lethal weapons like daggers and country made guns entered a labourers camp where workers engaged in a PMGSY road construction project were asleep.
The camp at Chidaret is approximately 10 kms from district headquarters Resubelpara.
The gang forcibly took away two workers and later in the day called up the families of both victims to demand five lakh rupees as ransom for their safe release.
North Garo Hills Superintendent of police Abraham T Sangma said that search and rescue operations were launched as soon as word reached police about the abduction.
“By Friday evening our operations teams had managed to track down the kidnappers and rescued the two victims who had been kept hidden inside a cave in a remote forest near Rongrong. Two of the kidnappers were arrested from the hideout while a third was picked up on Saturday from another location and four local made guns seized,” announced the SP.
Police have identified the arrested criminals as part of the same gang that was involved in the abduction of a trader from Assam at Dingok market near Mendal in North Garo Hills on January 24th, last year.
The arrested criminals are: Rupen R Marak @ Togan (36 years) from village Nengsa Apal,
PO Raja Apal & PS Bajengdoba,
Danseng G Momin (20 years) of
Village Sanima,
PO Raja Apal & PS Bajengdoba, while the third is a 15 year old juvenile.
All three were earlier in jail but later obtained bail and began committing crime once again. One of the criminals who is a juvenile had earlier been released from an observation home, informed police.