Meghalaya Police Clueless About Abducted Intelligence Officer

NEW DELHI/SHILLONG: The Meghalaya Police remains clueless about the whereabouts of an Intelligence Bureau officer abducted by suspected Garo militants in the South Garo Hills district, bordering Bangladesh.

Since the month of May the security agencies have raised concerns about the northeastern militant outfits coming together on a broad platform, that they claim has provided oxygen to several dwindling outfits.

On September 24, militants kidnapped Intelligence Bureau officer Bikash Singh and cloth merchant Kamal Saha at gunpoint from an area between Ampangre and Panda reserve forest, the police said.

Speaking to The Citizen, Special DGP (CID) Meghalaya, S K Jain confirmed that the police has not been able to proceed further so far. “In the past 72 hours we could not make headway in this matter. We have spread the security forces all over and something is expected to break soon. There is constant monitoring going on. Police is certainly looking into all the details that are with us,” Jain said.

A couple of months ago, Khaplang faction of the National Socialist Khaplang faction of the National Sociallist Council of Nagaland (NSCN), the United LiberationFront of Asom (Independent), the Songbijit faction of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), Kamatapur Liberation Organisation has formed a common platform to fight against India. This platform is floated on the lines of erstwhile Indo Burma Revolutionary Front. The group has declared itself as the United National liberation front of (UNLFW).

Though, ASAK has denied its involvement in the kidnapping, police maintained that the needle of suspicion pointed towards the group. The security agencies claim that they have conclusive information that this group is involved in the kidnapping.

“We have conclusive intelligence input about the involvement of ASAK. They may disassociate themselves but we have launched a massive operation as per the inputs. We are confident that there will be a breakthrough soon and the whole of it will be clear,” Jain said.

He also said the kidnappers have not made any contact with the family of the two victims for ransom.

However, he said operations had been intensified in South Garo Hills district and its adjoining districts to trace the intelligence officer.

Paramilitary has been pressed into action and the search operation is going on in full swing. The family of the abducted officer and the cloth merchant is in North East, police sources claimed.