This Article is From Mar 04, 2012

Two senior forest officials abducted by militants in Assam; one crore demanded as ransom

Diphu: Assam Chief Conservator of Forest (CCF) Abhijit Rabha and a range officer have reportedly been abducted in the Karbi Anglong district by militants who have demanded a ransom of Rs one crore for the duo's release, police said.

Karbi Anglong Superintendent of Police, D B Chetry told PTI that a delegation of 60 members, led by Rabha, had gone to the Singhasan Hills to conduct a forest department survey on February 27. Thirty of them had returned on February 29.

When the remaining 30 members were returning yesterday, they were stopped by six armed Karbi People's Liberation Tigers (KPLT) militants at Batlog under the Manja police station, he said.

The two officers were abducted while the rest were allowed to leave, the SP added.

The militants later sent a message demanding a ransom of Rs one crore for the release of the two officers.

Rabha is the CCF in-charge of Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council, while the other abducted officer has been identified as Range Officer Ranjan Barua.

Chetry said that the remaining members of the delegation returned back safely.

The police were, however, not informed about the team's visit to the Hills before they left for the survey, he said.
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