Between Rs 1-6 cr ransom demanded for release
Suspected UPlA militants on Sunday demanded a huge ransom — unconfirmed reports pegged the amount between Rs 1 crore to Rs 6 crore — for the safe release of an Andhra Pradesh-based company’s engineer, who was kidnapped in Assam last week.
Nagamalleshwara Rao, the engineer, was working for Vashista Construction Company as crusher in-charge. The company has been involved in construction of the Guwahati-Silchar National Highway.
A native of Chimakurthy in Prakasam district of Andhra Pradesh, Rao was abducted from Maibong in Assam’s Dima Hasao district on June 17. Although police have intensified operations against the militants in and around the district, they are yet to trace Rao. Rao was kidnapped at gunpoint by a group of armed militants from his official residence at Kalachand under Maibong Police Station in the district.
“We have got some clues and operations are on to trace Rao. Two militant outfits — United Peoples liberation Army (UPlA) and Dimasa National Security Force (DNSF) — are involved in the abduction,” said a senior police official based in Dima Hasao.
“The militants had demanded Rs 1 crore for safe release of the abducted employee of the company,” he said, adding that operations have been on to trace and rescue him. Some other reports suggested that the ransom demanded was to the tune of Rs 6 crore.
The Andhra Pradesh Government on Sunday appealed to the Assam administration to ensure the engineer’s safe release. On the directions of Chief Minister N Chandrababu Naidu, State Chief Secretary IYR Krishna Rao spoke to his Assam counterpart and the Assam DGP and requested them to take steps for the safe and early release of the engineer, a statement said.
The relatives of the kidnapped engineer said in Prakasam district that his family was heavily dependent on him for their sustenance. His family had appealed to the Andhra Pradesh Government to exert pressure on the Tarun Gogoi dispensation for taking measures to secure his release.