Tezpur, Oct. 12: A businessman and his employee were abducted by suspected Adivasi National Liberation Army (ANLA) rebels near Majuligarh tea estate, under Biswanath Chariali police station near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border in Sonitpur district last night.

Naba Sarma and Sandu Newar of Majuli were abducted from their house in Maujuli around 9 last night. Maujuli is about 30km from Biswanath Chariali, 110km from Tezpur and 290km from Guwahati.

According to police sources, the duo run a grocery business at Maujuli. A group of four suspected ANLA militants came to their house when Sarma and his employee, Newar, were sleeping in the same room.

Sonitpur superintendent of police Sanjukta Parashar, speaking to The Telegraph, said it is doubtful whether ANLA militants were behind this abduction, as they did not give any extortion note nor make any phone call to their family members.

Parashar said search operations are going on in various locations in the area. Local people said Sarma received an extortion note from the militants but was abducted because he did not pay up.

On January 16, ANLA militants abducted Bharat Singh Rathore, manager of Pabhoi tea estate. He was released on January 21 at Nawmorah along Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, under Jingia police station in Sonitpur district.