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Silchar, Sept. 3: A prominent trader dealing in grocery and cosmetic items in the Cheragi area in Karimganj district was abducted last night around 9.30 from Cheragibandh village, 120km from Silchar town.
Family members of Shekhar Deb, 45, said the incident happened when the trader returned home as usual around 9pm. They said as Deb was talking with his wife and children, at least four shots rang out. Before the family could gather what was happening, at least 10 youths stormed into the house.
Karimganj district superintendent of police Pradip Pujari said this morning over phone from the district headquarters town of Karimganj that the youths then dragged Deb to the lawns of his house and led him through the jungle into a nearby wooded hill.
Pujari said the police, on getting information about the abduction, arrived quickly in the house of the abducted trader.
He said the army was also deployed from its Manipur and Chorgola tea garden camps along with CRPF jawans to conduct separate searches into the dense forest areas and the hills to rescue the trader. He is yet to be traced.
The trader’s family said they have not received any call asking for ransom. The Karimganj SP visited the Cheragi area today to monitor the search operations in and around the vulnerable Chatachurra and Badshahi hills areas.
Congress MLA from Ratabari in the district, Kripanath Mallah, had also rushed to the Cheragi area to take stock of the situation.
Police sources in Karimganj today said judging from the different field reports about this kidnapping, it appeared to be the handiwork of the United Democratic Liberation Army (Dhananjoy faction), a gang of rebels active in Hailakandi district.
The group is also active in the adjoining Karimganj district’s forest areas.
The UDLA had been lying low for the past two years after the army had killed seven insurgents in October 2010.
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