NHPC official abducted from Assam

A top official of the National Hydroelectric Power Corporation (NHPC) has been abducted from Sonitpur district near Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, police said Sunday.

Anil Kumar Agarwal was posted as general manager in the NHPC's 800 MW power project, under construction at Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

He was abducted late Saturday by suspected cadres of a faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) led by I.K. Songbijit, which is opposed to peace talks, police said.

Additional Director General of Police A.P. Raut said an operation has been launched to rescue the abducted official.

"It is the handiwork of the NDFB (Songbijit) faction. The outfit has substantial presence in areas bordering Assam and Arunachal Pradesh. Our investigation is on and police have so far recovered one of the four motorcycles used to kidnap the official," Raut said.

There has been no ransom demand from the outfit so far, Raut said.

Police said the abduction took place when the NHPC official was on his way to Tezpur from Tawang in Arunachal Pradesh.

Four motorcycle-riding youths stopped his vehicle near Bhalukpong and whisked him away at gunpoint on their motorcycles.

Agarwal's driver rushed to the Assam Rifles establishment at Chariduar and informed officials about the abduction of Agarwal. No one has been arrested so far.

Officials say the NDFB anti-talk faction has been carrying out massive extortion near the Assam-Arunachal Pradehs border.

Sambhu Singh, joint secretary of the union home ministry, who recently visited Guwahati, has asked the state government to deal with the matter urgently.

An NHPC spokesman confirmed the abduction on condition of anonymity but said the organisation has no further information.

The NHPC spokesman said Agarwal was supposed to go to Bangalore Sunday.