Police launch rescue operations
From Our Correspondent
TURA: A cashier of the State Bank of India (SBI) Williamnagar branch, A Ali was kidnapped from the Songsak-Darugre road while he along with SBI branch manager P Barman were on their way to Assam on Saturday afternoon.
Five unidentified man, armed with an AK rifle and a pistol initially tried to kidnap the branch manager Barman but due to the inability of the cashier to drive off in the vehicle they took Ali instead. The branch manager later arrived at his home in Assam safely but failed to notify police of the turn of events that unfolded on Saturday afternoon.
He narrated his tale over phone only on Sunday by when the kidnappers had already covered much distance with their captive.
Meanwhile, East Garo Hills police, which launched an operation to rescue the cashier, have ruled out the involvement of GNLA in the abduction while indicating that preliminary evidence suggest that the abduction could be the handiwork of the once defunct Liberation of Achik Elite force (LAEF).
The LAEF became a defunct outfit after its chief Peter Marak, a former police commando, was arrested by Meghalaya police from Jorabat area of Assam in 2007. He was subsequently killed in what police claim was cross fire while leading security forces to a camp of the outfit less than a day after his arrest.
