ULFA- I release an abducted ONGC employee

Assam, May 22: ULFA- I respond positively to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s appeal to abducted ONGC employee Ritul Saikia at Longwa village in Mon district of Nagaland in the wee hour of Saturday.

As per police source, “A team of Assam Rifles personnel escorted Saikia and handed over to Assam Police. He will be reaching home (Borhola in Sivasagar district) by today evening.”

Talking to the media waiting at the Assam-Nagaland border, Saikia said, “I am fit and healthy but a little tired as I was walking for three days.”

Saikia and two other ONGC employees were abducted by ULFA- I on April 21 from a rig site at Lakwa.

3 days later, Cops and security forces rescued the other two persons following an encounter in the Mon district of Nagaland but the militants got away along with Saikia in their captivity.

ULFA- I initially denied having Saikai in its hold but after some time admitted holding him captive in one of their hideouts in Myanmar bordering Nagaland.


Also Read: Assam: ULFA-I to release abducted ONGC employee after CM’s appeal

 

On Thursday the CM Himanta Biswa Sarma had appealed to ULFA- I leader Paresh Baruah to release Saikia and create a favourable condition for the peace process.

Baruah responded positively and swiftly and even as the CM was making the appeal at a press conference, Baruah called up media houses and said that abducted Saikia would reach his home healthy and safe within the next three days.