Dibrugarh: Gautam Basumatary, a factory supervisor of the Himalaya Tea Company who was kidnapped by the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (Ulfa-I) from Tinsukia district, was released on Thursday morning by the militant outfit after 14 harrowing days of captivity, reports Rajib Dutta.
Basumatary was kidnapped in the early hours of Oct 24 from the tea factory, located near the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, resulting in a massive manhunt by the security forces.
The abduction, which was captured on CCTV, involved a five to six-member armed group clad in military uniform. The footage showed the militants storming the factory, before carrying out the crime. Following the incident, the police confirmed that Ulfa-I was behind the kidnapping.
On Thursday morning, authorities announced that Basumatary was freed in the 17-mile area of Jairampur in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district.
Tinsukia SP Abhijit Gurav confirmed the development, saying, “Basumatary was released from the 17 Mile area of Jairampur in Arunachal Pradesh’s Changlang district. He was later handed over to us by the Arunachal police.”
While the exact circumstances surrounding Basumatary’s release remain unclear, local sources speculate that negotiations may have occurred. However, it has not been confirmed whether any ransom was paid for his safe release.
After his release, Basumatary was taken to Tinsukia Civil Hospital for a health check-up. Doctors said that although he was in a stable condition, he was in trauma and experiencing difficulty in walking properly.