In a reminder to the 1990s, the anti-talk faction of the Ulfa has abducted the son of a BJP leader in Assam and demanded `1 crore for his release.
The incident came to light on Monday when the Ulfa faction emailed an ISIS-styled video footage to the media where Kuldip Moran, son of a BJP leader in Assam's Tinsukia district, was seen sitting on the ground on his knees surrounded by five gunmen. Moran, son of Ratneswar, the vice-president of Tinsukia Zila Parishad and a close aide of Sadiya legislator Bolin Chetia appealed to his parents, Bolin Chetia and Assam Chief Minister Sonowal to secure his release.
“I have been abducted by the Ulfa and I request my father, Bolin Chetia and Chief Minister Sonowal to secure my release. They have been holding me hostage and my health has deteriorated. I may die some day in cross firing,” said the abducted boy in the video.
The Ulfa had earlier admitted that the Eastern Command unit of the outfit had abducted the boy on August 1 this year. However, the top leaders of the outfit are not aware about the whereabouts of the boy as their communication with the unit was snapped a few days ago.
The Ulfa faction had kidnapped the boy from Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh on August 1 and demanded Rs. 1 crore for his release. Sadiya MlA Bolin Chetia said he had received a phone call demanding Rs 1 crore as ransom to release Kuldip.
Kuldip's father, Ratneswar Moran is a senior BJP leader in the eastern Assam district and he is also the vice-president of Tinsukia Zila Parishad. Ratneswar is also a close aide of Sadiya BJP legislator Bolin Chetia.
"According to our information, the boy was kept somewhere in Myanmar. It is not our case as the boy had been abducted from Changlang district. However, as the boy hails from Tinsukia, I have been regularly coordinating with police in Changlang district," said Tinsukia SP MJ Mahanta.
Ratneswar Moran and the family, however, have appealed to release the boy without any condition as the family is not in a financial position to pay any ransom. "I am a poor man and cannot pay the amount. I only appeal to the outfit to release him," said Moran.
The abduction came as a worst reminder of 1990s when the Ulfa leaders had abducted rights activist Sanjay Ghose from Majuli Island in Assam and subsequently killed him. While the abduction of Sanjay Ghose took place in 1997, the Ulfa had resorted to several high-profile abductions in early 1990s which includes Russian coal mine engineer Sergei Gritchenko, working for Coal India ltd from ledo etc and police officer Dulal Borkotoki, who were killed subsequently.
Though abductions are not a rare affair for this militant outfit but this is for the first time that the Ulfa had not only abducted one person for ransom but also released a video showing the boy and his captors, much like ISIS terrorists.