'Hope ULFA won't tarnish Assam's image by harming Quippo employees', says DGP

GUWAHATI: Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Assam's Director General of Police (DGP), today appealed the non-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) to refrain from harming the abducted Quippo employees "if they truly love Assam."

 

Making a case for a "humanitarian aspect" in the abduction, Mahanta appealed to the insurgents to refrain from harming the two abducted men -- Pranab Kumar Gogoi from Assam and Ram Kumar from Bihar -- as it would taint Assam's image on the global stage.

 

"I still do not want to believe that this organization would do something like this as it would taint Assam's name in the international arena. We have been in touch with some of their cadres who have come overground. We get the feeling that they truly are in love with their motherland. I appeal them to show a decent attitude towards the innocent men," the DGP told Inside Northeast.

 

Asked what the Assam Police is doing to ensure the safe return of the abducted employees, Mahanta said, "Since the place of occurence of the incident is not in Assam, we have not been able to take a proactive stand. We, however, are in touch with Arunachal police, concerned army officials, as well as various agencies of the Indian government. Besides, the Sivasagar SP has already visited the home of the abducted employee and we are doing whatever we can to assure the families."

 

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It is pertinent to mention here that the ULFA (I) yesterday said its talks with Quippo India Oil and Gas Infrastructure Ltd have “failed” and the two abducted employees of the drilling company would be executed next week.

 

“Since the Quippo authorities have miserably failed to negotiate their release, we will have to go by our earlier decision that we will take the final call on fate of the two employees, Ram Kumar and Pranab Kumar Gogoi, next week,” the media communique said.

 

Issuing a release, the ULFA said that the New Delhi- headquartered company has been declared "banned" in Southeast Asia, including Assam and Arunachal Pradesh, by the outlawed outfit.

The ULFA (I) has demanded a ransom of Rs 20 crore from the petroleum drilling company for the release of the two employees who were abducted by the outfit along with NSCN on December 21 last year.

 

Meanwhile, ULFA general secretary Anup Chetia today reiterated his appeal to the ULFA (I), led by Abhijit Axom and Paresh Baruah, not to cause any harm to the two abducted oil company employees and extend its time for negotiation by few more days.