SBI branch manager abducted in Meghalaya

An official of the State Bank of India (SBI) was Monday abducted by suspected tribal militants in Meghalaya's South West Garo Hills district, police said.

Arvind Kumar, manager of the State Bank's Ampati branch, was kidnapped by three unidentified men at gunpoint from Garobadha area while he was going towards his office from Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills.

Ampati, the assembly constituency of Chief Minister Mukul Sangma, is the district headquarters town of South West Garo Hills. Ampati is about 375 km from the state capital Shillong.

"Three youths armed with pistols stopped the vehicle in which Arvind Kumar was travelling and abducted him. The kidnappers let go the driver," G.H.P. Raju, inspector general of police in-charge of operations, told IANS.

He said police came to know about the incident after the SBI officials of Borkana branch informed them.

Intelligence agencies here suspect it to be the handiwork of the rebels from Garo National Liberation Army or either the A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok (ASAK) - which are operating in the area.

"We have launched a manhunt to trace the abducted bank official," Raju said.