Arunachal Pradesh police rescued a businessman abducted by NDFB (S) militants from his farmhouse at Pasighat in East Siang district after a fierce encounter with the rebel outfit at Bora Jaldobi village in Assam's Dhemaji district, a top police officer said today.
A police team lead by East Siang SP Devendra Arya rescued 65-year-old Keshav Pandey from the captivity of the militants after about one hour gun battle last night and arrested four cadres namely Rajiv Narzary, Suresh Basumatary, Bolin Boro and Tengana Narzary while three others managed to escape, DGP S Nithianandam told a press conference here this evening.
Pandey, who owns a cattle farm near Partung area inside the Daying Ering Wildlife sanctuary was kidnapped on April 29 last around 7 PM after a few miscreants entered his farm disconnecting the power supply.
"On May 1 last the family members received a phone call from Pandey that he was in the custody of militants and yesterday again a call was received from the abductors demanding an amount of 50 lakh for his safe release," the DGP disclosed.
On specific lead police arrested Bijit Boro and Sothal Mosahari who spilled the beans and informed the police about the hideout where the victim was kept, Nithianandam disclosed adding, the police team cordoned off the area and asked the militants to surrender.
On being challenged by the police team, the militants opened fired forcing the team to retaliate, he added.
Responding to media queries about presence of NDFB cadres in the state, the DGP disclosed that the state police have been alerted to remain vigil after the May 1 massacre of 32 people from minority community at BTAD area in neighbouring Assam by NDFB(S) rebels.
"We are keeping a strict vigil on possible sneaking of NDFB cadres into the state's territory after the incident in Assam," he quipped.
When asked about the progress on the case of mysterious death of Mathew Dabi, a poll official on duty, the police chief informed that the department was waiting for the forensic report which would clear the cause of the death.
On security preparedness for the counting of votes on May 16 next he disclosed that adequate security arrangement have been made to ensure violence-free counting in the state and to check post poll violence.
