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Guwahati: The kidnapping of two employees of the New Delhi-headquartered Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Limited by insurgents has come as a reminder of troubled times in Assam, when the ‘kidnapping-for-ransom’ strategy spread terror in the state.
This time though, the crime is being seen as one of desperation.
The two men drilling superintendent Pranab Kumar Gogoi, 51, and radio operator Ram Kumar, 35 were abducted by the United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I) on 21 December from Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district, which borders Myanmar.
Last Sunday, the banned outfit’s commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah called up journalists in Assam to say that it has “deferred action” against the two officials and that the “deadline set for their release has been extended”. This came after it had threatened to take the “ultimate action” against the hostages earlier in the week.
ULFA ‘defers’ action on Quippo employees
By IANS| Published: 22nd February 2021 12:09 pm IST
By Subir Bhaumik
Guwahati, Feb 22 : The separatist United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) says it has ‘deferred action’ against two employees of hydrocarbon company Quippo Oil & Gas Infrastructure Ltd who were kidnapped in December by their armed cadres.
ULFA ‘commander-in-chief’ Paresh Barua called some journalists, including this writer, to inform that ‘expiry of ultimatum does not mean death penalty.’
Barua, who often calls up journalists to spin publicity mileage, said “the ULFA has taken into account appeals made by Assamese civil society and leading citizens seeking release of the two Quippo employees”.