ULFA abducts Assam BJP leader's son, demands Rs 1 crore ransom in IS-style video

GUWAHATI: Ulfa (Independent) on Monday released a video showing the abducted son of a local BJP leader making an appeal to his parents and the state government to secure his release. The video, purportedly sent by the outfit to a section of media houses via WhatsApp today, shows Kuldeep Moran, who is in his late twenties, kneeling down and surrounded by five masked men armed with assault rifles as he appeals to his parents, chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal and Sadiya MLA Bolin Chetia to help free him. "I have become very weak and my health has also deteriorated as they are taking me from one place to another in a dense jungle. Please free me as I may not be able to survive this for long," Kuldeep, wearing a green T-shirt in the video, says. Kidnappings by Ulfa (I) are common in the state but a video is unusual. This is perhaps the first time the outfit has released an ISIS-style video of an abducted person making an appeal for help.

Kuldeep was abducted from Nampong in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh, adjoining Tinsukia district of Assam, on August 1. Nampong is 110km from Tinsukia town. His father, Ratneswar, a BJP leader of Tinsukia district and vice-chairman of Tinsukia zila parishad, is a close aide of Chetia, the BJP legislator from Sadiya. A police source said Ratneswar had received a call on August 7 from a person who identified himself as an Ulfa (I) member and demanded Rs 1 crore for Kuldeep's release. The abductors also spoke to Chetia on Ratneswar's phone and asked him to arrange the money if they wanted to see Kuldeep alive. Chetia had apprised the chief minister about the ransom demand in Dispur on August 12. Tinsukia superintendent of police Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta said Ulfa (I)'s eastern command cadres were suspected to be involved in the abduction. He said Arunachal Pradesh police had registered a case and were investigating the matter since the incident had happened in the neighbouring state. Sources in Arunachal police said they were working jointly with Assam police to trace Kuldeep. "We have launched operations in Changlang since August 9. The boy was kidnapped from the Nampong area. We are trying our best to trace him, based on the clues we have gathered. I can't say anything more at this moment," a police official said, adding that they had heard about "some video having been released by Ulfa (I)". He, however, did not name Ulfa (I). Militants of Ulfa (I) and NSCN (Khaplang) jointly operate in Changlang district, which borders Myanmar. The Assam Rifles, in a joint operation with police, had killed an Ulfa cadre Bhaiti Milli in Changlang district on June 26. In an email to media houses on August 17, Ulfa (I) had said that its "eastern command" had abducted Kuldeep on August 1 but its communication with the command was snapped due to "complications in situation". It, however, did not explain what the complications were. The statement purportedly signed by Ulfa (I)'s assistant publicity secretary, Arunodoy Asom, said Kuldeep was a drug addict and had extorted money in the name of the outfit. Sources said Kuldeep had been arrested by the police earlier for his alleged involvement in an extortion case. In the run-up to Independence Day celebrations, Ulfa (I) had unleashed violence in Tinsukia district of Upper Assam. It had gunned down two Hindi-speaking persons at Bamunbari village under Philobari police station on August 12 and had triggered five blasts in the district on August 15. The Paresh Barua-led Ulfa (I) is against holding talks with the government without its main demand of "sovereign Assam" on the agenda. Another Ulfa group led by Arabinda Rajkhowa is in talks with the government since 2011. -The Telegrah Calcutta