Abduction turns out as a profitable business in South Hailakandi

SILCHAR, Oct 22: With the news of the release of advocate Tafajjul Ali Borbhuiya doing its rounds, the incident has once again proved that abduction is a profitable source of income in remote South Hailakandi. According to sources, the family members of Borbhuiya had paid Rs 5 lakh and 10 mobile hand sets as ransom to his abductors for his release. Borbhuiya was kidnapped on October 18 from Triganga village under Katlicherra Police Station.

However, Borbhuiya denied paying any ransom to his abductors for releasing him. He said that the police were not involved in it, the sources added. He also said that since he was a diabetic patient he was released by his abductors as his health was deteriorating.

Meanwhile, the miscreants involved in the kidnapping are yet to be identified. It was further reported that the police were suspecting the involvement of the dacoit gang, Ataur-bahini in the kidnapping. The dacoit gang has a nexus with Bru militant outfit, the source added.

The police had earlier picked up two relatives of Ataur Rahman Laskar for interrogation but released them subsequently. The sources said police also raided some houses of Muslim people before Borbhuiya was released. It was also reported that the police were suspecting Laskar’s involvement in the kidnapping as Borbhuiya was the advocate of a panchayat member who had helped the police in nabbing Laskar. However, Laskar had already killed the panchayat member after escaping from jail.

But Borbhuiya, after returning to his home at Hailakandi, claimed that he was actually kidnapped by Reang militants. He further claimed that Ataur-bahini had actually helped him in his release.

Meanwhile, another source hinted that some close relatives of Borbhuiya might have been involved in his kidnapping. Borbhuiya had gone to his ancestral home at Triganga for settlement of a land dispute including a garden of segun wood. He was also supposed to hold talks with the other shareholders of the property who were of his family.

At the time of the incident, Borbhuiya was staying at the residence of his cousin Jalaluddin whose two sons got bullet injuries while trying to resist the attempt of the abductors.

Meanwhile, the local people here alleged that the law and order situation in South Hailakandi was only deteriorating as the police had been unable to tackle the growing menace of miscreants. It was further alleged that kidnapping cases had become a regular source of income for the miscreants in the area. It was also reported that the miscreants mainly belong to Reang or Muslim communities.

Moreover, the area falls under Katlicherra which also happens to be the constituency of State Excise Minister Gautam Roy. Significantly Roy’s own brother-in-law Pratul Deb, an NFI who later fought Assembly election on BJP’s ticket against Roy, was kidnapped and subsequently murdered allegedly by Reang militants. Surprisingly, Roy has not yet taken any steps to nab the miscreants. Hailakandi SP Vivekanda Das, however, took the initiative for the surrender of Panchgram Reang, the leader of ULFBV, a Reang militant outfit.

Panchgram later joined the Congress but his accomplice Dhanyaram Reang subsequently formed the UDLA, a militant outfit with the help of Ataur Rahman Laskar, a Muslim miscreant. But, the sources said, police played the role of a mute spectator to the whole development. It is to be noted that Dhanyaram was recently arrested by Mizo Police at Kolasib but the terror in South Hailakandi continues. THE SENTINEL