Quippo Employee Ram Kumar released by ULFA (I) in Nagaland
Reportedly, he is under the custody of the Assam Rifles.
Ram Kumar who worked as a radio operator was abducted with another employee Pranab Kumar Gogoi by the banned outfit on December 21 from the Kumchaikha drilling site in Innao area of Changlang district in Arunachal Pradesh.
Even though Gogoi was released on April 3, the whereabouts of Kumar was not known. Meanwhile, unverified sources stated that both the abductees were supposed to be released in different locations.
While Gogoi was intercepted at Changlang District in Arunachal Pradesh, Kumar was released in Nagaland after they were held in captivity for almost 4 months by the banned outfit
Gogoi who worked as a drilling superintendent belongs to Sivasagar while Kumar hails from Bihar, both were employed with the Delhi based Oil exploration company- Quippo Oil and Gas Infrastructure Limited.
Reportedly, Assam Rifles will be accompanying Ram Kumar and later hand over him to his family after undergoing necessary medical examination and interrogation.
Earlier Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal, Finance and Health Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma other Ministers and Congress leaders including the party's deputy leader in the Lok Sabha Gaurav Gogoi have separately appealed to ULFA-I leaders to release the two hostages of the Delhi-based private oil company.
The development comes after several rounds of negotiations between the ULFA and the oil company over the extortion demanded for the release of the employees.
The ULFA-I, which is currently headed by its ''commander-in-chief'' Paresh Barua, had, in a media statement, said that if the drilling company ''fails to take positive steps to secure the release of their employees by February 16, the outfit would take action against hostage Ram Kumar on February 17''.
Later on February 21, the ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah informed that they have halted their plans of taking strong action on the two abducted employees after talks between the ULFA-I and the Assam government.