Four kidnapped Tripura bank officials untraced, vehicles found

Four Tripura Gramin Bank officials kidnapped last week remained untraced even as their car and a motorcycle have been found, police said here on Monday.

Tripura State Rifles and other security forces meanwhile continued to search for the abducted officials in Khowai, Dhalai, and Gomati districts, Gomati District Superintendent of Police Bijoy Debbarma told IANS.

Director General of Police Akhil Kumar Shukla and other senior officials are supervising the manhunt.

A police official said the officials' car and motorcycle were found in Ambassa in Dhalai district and Teliamure in Khowai district respectively.

Police has asked the Border Security Force to intensify vigil along the India-Bangladesh borders so that the four are not whisked across the border by their kidnappers.

Taidu Branch Manager Tanumoy Bhattacharjee, 30, Sujit Chandra Dey, 28, and Raktim Bhowmik, 31, were abducted on Friday night by armed miscreants while returning by car to Agartala through Teliamura. Subrata Debbarma, 32, was riding a motorcycle when he was abducted.

Families of the officials said an unidentified person called up and demanded Rs 20 lakh each for the release of the bank staff.

The state Bharatiya Janata Party has threatened to gherao Chief Minister Manik Sarkar's official residence if the bank officials were not rescued by Tuesday.

--IANS

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