Guwahati, Jan. 25: The arrest of two Ulfa militants involved in the abduction of PWD chief engineer Suren Das is likely to throw new light on the high-profile abduction case.

A senior city police official said the arrest of two activists of Ulfa’s 709 battalion from Baksa district last evening will help them take the investigations into Das’s abduction to a logical conclusion.

“During interrogation, the two accused, identified as Deepak Bora and Nayan Thakuria, have confessed their involvement in the abduction,” the official said.

Das, who was the chief engineer of PWD’s national highway division, was abducted by a group of Ulfa rebels from his rented house at Nizarapar in Chandmari on March 9, 2006.

He was found by police at a private nursing home at Pathsala in Barpeta district on April 24, 2006, in a critical condition.

Though he was immediately shifted to Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH), he passed away on May 3 from cerebral malaria and cerebral oedema, which led to the formation of excessive fluid in his brain.

“Since all the accused involved in the abduction were at large, we could not make much headway in the case. But with the arrest of the two prime accused, we hope to obtain a lot of information on several missing links in this kidnapping,” the police source said.

City police will move court to take the duo into their custody from Baksa police for interrogation in the abduction case (number 96/06) under Section 365 IPC registered at Chandmari police station here.

“As far as we know, Das was abducted by Ulfa militants for ransom at the behest of Hira Sarania, the commander of the outfit’s 709 battalion. After we interrogate the two, we hope to find out who else were involved in the crime,” the officer said.

He said a personal security guard of Sarania, identified as Brajen Das alias Gautam Das, was also arrested by Baksa police yesterday along with the two accused.

Das is being questioned by the police to get some clues on Sarania’s whereabouts.

The police also suspect that some PWD insiders may have helped Ulfa carry out the abduction but so far they have failed to gather any clinching evidence on their role.

The police source said Ulfa had demanded Rs 1 crore from Das’s family for his safe release.

“The Ulfa militants later scaled down the demand to Rs 35 lakh after negotiations with Das’s family members. But the militants left him at a nursing home when his health deteriorated,” the source said.

“It was not known whether Das’s family paid Ulfa any ransom because his family has denied paying the abductors,” the official added.