From The Times Of India
Feb 11, 2011
KOKRAJHAR: Hundreds of police, Army and BSF personnel are fanned out in the jungles of Haltugaon division in Kokrajhar district and in Manas National Park in Chirang district to search for the three male WWF-India volunteers who were abducted on February 6, but the boys still remain untraceable. The whereabouts of Gautam Kishore Sarma, Pranjal Saikia and Syed Naushad Zaman is not known for the past four days.
A total of six WWF field-workers, three of whom were girls and the rest boys, were kidnapped on Sunday evening last by suspected Bodo militants. The girls were released on Tuesday evening, but the boys remain in the militants' captivity.
The six young volunteers were part of the WWF team carrying out a tiger habitat occupancy survey in Manas Tiger Reserve in western Assam. Though the security forces have launched rescue operations in suspected areas by deploying the Army and paramilitay forces, including SSB and BSF, to rescue the three volunteers, they are yet to be traced.
A senior police official said the militants had whisked away the WWF-India activists for a huge ransom. A search operation had been launched in Ripu Chirang Wildlife Sanctuary bordering the foothills of Bhutan to rescue them. "The three WWF activists have been held captive somewhere along the Indo-Bhutan border. Efforts are on to rescue them," an SSB official said on condition of anonymity, adding they were trying level best to rescue them. All the forces have already been deployed, the official said.
A pall of gloom has descended on the families of the three boys, members of WWF-India and forest officials since the unknown Bodo militants kidnapped the WWF activists on Sunday evening. The conservation volunteers were kidnapped by a 20-member gang of Bodo armed militants at Ultapani reserve forest. An unknown Bodo militant group, ARONAI', is behind the kidnapping. It is worth mentioning that the abductors have reportedly demanded Rs 50 lakh for the release of the volunteers though the initial demand was of Rs 2 crore. Anupam Sarma, WWF-India in-charge, who is monitoring the search operations and negotiating with the abductors, said the incident left the members of the organization shocked. The young men and women were engaged in selfless conservation efforts and have no political affiliation. "We want the abductors to release them without any harm. We all are praying to God for their safety and have appealed to the kidnappers to release the three boys on humanitarian grounds," he added.
Sarma added that the kidnapping, which occurred at a time when conservation efforts are on in full swing, was most unfortunate. "This will surely hamper the progress of the elephant and tiger estimation in Manas Natiaonal Park," he said.
On the other hand, in an e-mail to the media, NDFB (anti-talk) general secretary N Dinthi Gwra again clarified the outfit's stand on the kidnapping episode, "While there has been speculation and NDFB has been blamed for the abduction of the six WWF volunteers from Ultapani in Kokrajhar on February 6 last, it is hereby clarified that the NDFB is not involved in any way in their abduction and hostage taking."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Still-no-trace-of-kidnapped-WWF-trio/articleshow/7471082.cms
Feb 11, 2011
KOKRAJHAR: Hundreds of police, Army and BSF personnel are fanned out in the jungles of Haltugaon division in Kokrajhar district and in Manas National Park in Chirang district to search for the three male WWF-India volunteers who were abducted on February 6, but the boys still remain untraceable. The whereabouts of Gautam Kishore Sarma, Pranjal Saikia and Syed Naushad Zaman is not known for the past four days.
A total of six WWF field-workers, three of whom were girls and the rest boys, were kidnapped on Sunday evening last by suspected Bodo militants. The girls were released on Tuesday evening, but the boys remain in the militants' captivity.
The six young volunteers were part of the WWF team carrying out a tiger habitat occupancy survey in Manas Tiger Reserve in western Assam. Though the security forces have launched rescue operations in suspected areas by deploying the Army and paramilitay forces, including SSB and BSF, to rescue the three volunteers, they are yet to be traced.
A senior police official said the militants had whisked away the WWF-India activists for a huge ransom. A search operation had been launched in Ripu Chirang Wildlife Sanctuary bordering the foothills of Bhutan to rescue them. "The three WWF activists have been held captive somewhere along the Indo-Bhutan border. Efforts are on to rescue them," an SSB official said on condition of anonymity, adding they were trying level best to rescue them. All the forces have already been deployed, the official said.
A pall of gloom has descended on the families of the three boys, members of WWF-India and forest officials since the unknown Bodo militants kidnapped the WWF activists on Sunday evening. The conservation volunteers were kidnapped by a 20-member gang of Bodo armed militants at Ultapani reserve forest. An unknown Bodo militant group, ARONAI', is behind the kidnapping. It is worth mentioning that the abductors have reportedly demanded Rs 50 lakh for the release of the volunteers though the initial demand was of Rs 2 crore. Anupam Sarma, WWF-India in-charge, who is monitoring the search operations and negotiating with the abductors, said the incident left the members of the organization shocked. The young men and women were engaged in selfless conservation efforts and have no political affiliation. "We want the abductors to release them without any harm. We all are praying to God for their safety and have appealed to the kidnappers to release the three boys on humanitarian grounds," he added.
Sarma added that the kidnapping, which occurred at a time when conservation efforts are on in full swing, was most unfortunate. "This will surely hamper the progress of the elephant and tiger estimation in Manas Natiaonal Park," he said.
On the other hand, in an e-mail to the media, NDFB (anti-talk) general secretary N Dinthi Gwra again clarified the outfit's stand on the kidnapping episode, "While there has been speculation and NDFB has been blamed for the abduction of the six WWF volunteers from Ultapani in Kokrajhar on February 6 last, it is hereby clarified that the NDFB is not involved in any way in their abduction and hostage taking."
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/guwahati/Still-no-trace-of-kidnapped-WWF-trio/articleshow/7471082.cms
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