14 held for abduction of 3 ONGC employees in Assam, ULFA-I role confirmed

The three employees were abducted from a work over rig site inside the Lakwa tea estate in the early hours of Wednesday. The abducted employees are Ritul Saikia, Mohini Mohan Gogoi (both junior engineer assistants) and Alakesh Saikia (junior technician)—all of them belong to Assam.

Published on: Apr 23, 2021, 01:08:51 IST

By Utpal Parashar

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The police in Assam’s Sivasagar arrested 14 people on Thursday in connection with the abduction of three employees of Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC).

Till Thursday evening police arrested 14 people on suspicion of their involvement in the abduction of ONGC employees. (HT FILE PHOTO.)

Police officials confirmed the role of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) in the abductions. Search operations are underway in neighbouring Nagaland where the abducted persons are believed to have been kept.

“Till Thursday evening we have arrested 14 people on suspicion of their involvement in the abductions. Further investigations are underway,” said Amitabh Sinha, superintendent of police, Sivasagar.

The three employees were abducted from a work over rig site inside the Lakwa tea estate in the early hours of Wednesday. The abducted employees are Ritul Saikia, Mohini Mohan Gogoi (both junior engineer assistants) and Alakesh Saikia (junior technician)—all of them belong to Assam.

According to the police, 5 armed persons came to the rig site in an ONGC ambulance and abducted the 3 employees at gunpoint. The ambulance was recovered later close to the Assam-Nagaland border, around 11 km away.

“It is now confirmed that ULFA-I was responsible for the abductions. The police are not yet aware of any ransom demand made by the outfit for the release of the abducted persons,” said Singha.

“We suspect the abducted persons were taken to Nagaland. A search operation with involvement of different agencies is underway at present in Nagaland to rescue the ONGC employees,” he added.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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