TURA: Three small-time traders were abducted from Gasuapara in South Garo Hills on Tuesday morning.
This is the first incident of kidnapping this year and according to police’s preliminary reports, this could be the handiwork of either ASAK rebels or petty criminals.
Around eight armed men waylaid 11 traders, most of whom were from Dalu-Barengapara in West Garo Hills, on a deserted road near the Telekali Reserve Forest in Dumnikura on around 6.30am on Tuesday. The traders were on their way to the weekly market at Jadugre village
Dumnikura is approximately 45 km from Baghmara, the district headquarters.
As the armed men began to pull the traders out of the vehicle, most of them broke loose and fled in different directions.
The three traders who could not escape are Tamal Dey (38) of Killapara Dalu, Dulan Mahanta (36) of Palpara Dalu and Durga Pada Dutta (35) of Chaipani Dalu.
“Preliminary reports indicate that it is the handiwork of either the ASAK or a petty criminal gang as most them were said to be carrying country-made weapons. Police teams are already in the vicinity of the kidnapping site and operations are underway,” said district police superintendent Anand Mishra.
Initially, the kidnappers had tried to stop a public bus heading towards Baghmara the same morning. But the driver sped off after seeing the armed men and the Mahindra pick-up van became the target, police said.
Last September, as many as 11 traders from Assam were abducted by suspected ASAK rebels for ransom from Dumnikura.
