Nagaon/Guwahati, June 13: Jolted by reports suggesting that the abductors of minister G.C. Langthasa’s youngest son could do something drastic under pressure, Dispur has asked security forces to be “restrained” while conducting operations to rescue hostages. A source said the government’s directive was issued in the wake of an intelligence warning that the Ulfa, which abducted Nirmalendu Langthasa, was under “tremendous pressure” because of sustained operations by security forces and could react violently if pushed to the wall.
“It is a very delicate situation for the government. It cannot appear to be soft on abductors, but it also cannot take harsh steps as the life of the hostage will be in more danger,” the source said.
Intelligence reports indicate that Nirmalendu’s abductors are being constantly forced to change their hideouts because of relentless operations by security forces to rescue him.
A police official in Karbi Anglong said today that security forces had been stopped from going all out in search of the six persons abducted in North Cachar Hills yesterday by militants suspected to be from the anti-talks faction of the United People’s Democratic Solidarity (UPDS).
Though the army, the CRPF and Assam police have launched operations in the jungles of North Cachar Hills district in search of two officials of Umrangsho Cement Ltd and four more persons who were taken hostage by the Karbi militant group, they have been asked to “go slow”.
The militants also struck in adjoining Karbi Anglong district last night, killing a Hindi-speaking person and critically wounding another. Police officials in the Karbi Anglong district headquarters town of Diphu said militants suspected to be from the Karbi Longri North Cachar Hills Liberation Front fired on a truck in Howraghat, killing a man named Satya Narain Yadav. The 45-year-old victim, along with other labourers, was unloading goods from the vehicle at the spot. The driver was also critically wounded.
The same group is believed to be behind yesterday’s abduction of the two officials, two home guards and two casual labourers of the cement company, which has a unit some 15 km from Umrangsho town.
Nine persons have been picked up for interrogation, an official of Umrangsho Cement Ltd said today. The employees’ union is planning to appeal to the militant organisation to release the six hostages on humanitarian grounds.
North Cachar Hills police suspect that the abduction was carried out probably because the officials or the company failed to pay up. Intelligence sources said the Umrangsho area had become a happy hunting ground for the Karbi outfit.