Tura, July 2: Abducted school teacher, Utpal Dey was rescued unharmed
late yesterday evening from a remote village near Kherapara in West
Garo Hills.
Dey, 40 was abducted by A’chik Songna An’pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) at
gunpoint on Monday, while he was on his way to Dalu, a small town
along India – Bangladesh border from Tura in an auto rickshaw.
The ASAK militants waylaid Dey and two others near Karengre Lali
temple, about 25 km from here.
Police say the militants questioned them about their profession and
took Dey under their captivity.
West Garo Hills superintendent of police said, “Though no FIR was
filed. The police took cognizance of the incident and began its search
operation. Yesterday at around 4:30 pm, they had intelligence inputs
that Dey was being held captive at a makeshift camp at Sasatgre
village, near Kherapara. The police launched a massive combing
operation and rescued Dey at around 9:30 pm yesterday evening”.
Kherapara is located about 40 km from Tura.”It was difficult to locate the makeshift camp in the dark, but police managed to reach the spot. The militants fired at the cops while they were approaching, and the police retaliated. We ensured that Dey was not hurt in the cross firing”, said Singh.
The cross firing lasted for close to 5 minutes. “The makeshift camp was located a little distance away from human habitation. Taking advantage of the dark and hostile terrain, the militants managed to escape. They were about seven ASAK cadres”, he added.
Dey is working with Dalu Higher Secondary School. On June 29, a shoe trader from Kakripara village, near Mankachar under Assam’s Dhubri district was abducted from Dalu. His whereabouts are
still not known.
Yesterday, police gunned down a cadre of ASAK and arrested three from
Rewak village, near Baghmara in South Garo Hills and rescued a welder
Manoranjan Singh, who was abducted on Sunday.
The Garo hills region is witnessing a series of abduction in the last
two weeks. On June 18, the police rescued a bank manager from
Antekagre near Melliem in the South West Garo Hills. On June 26, the
police rescued four abducted traders unharmed from the clutches of a
group of GNLA and Ulfa (Independent) militants from a remote location
in the West Garo Hills district.
The outfit was formed in February this year by cadres of breakaway
faction of the Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA), led by Reding T.
Sangma, who was the former finance secretary of the GNLA.(SP News)
