Militants abduct official in Meghalaya

Shillong: Militants have abducted a Block Development Officer of Chokpot region in Meghalaya on Wednesday.

Block Development Officer Jude Rangku T. Sangma was kidnapped by Garo National Liberation Army militants on Tuesday from a remote area in South Garo Hills district, an officer said.

Inspector General of Police F.D. Sangma told IANS over phone that the official was abducted at gun point around 5.30 p.m. from Diganggre while he was on his way to Tura, the district headquarters of West Garo Hills.

He said the Meghalaya Civil Service officer was posted in Chokpot block, a militant hub, for more than two years.

In the past, Sangma received several threats and extortion demands from the GNLA but he did not pay heed to the threats.

Tuesday's incident comes close on the heels of the recovery of the body of an Intelligence Bureau officer, Bikash Singh Kumar, and a cloth merchant, Kamala Saha, after they were kidnapped and murdered by A'chik Songna An'pachakgipa Kotok militants.

One of Sangma's family members, who did not wish to be named, told IANS that the family has not received any ransom call.

The GNLA had earlier slapped extortion demands ranging from Rs.5 lakh to Rs.1 crore on petrol pump owners, coal dealers and businessmen in the coal-rich districts of Garo Hills.

The GNLA is fighting for a separate Garoland in the western part of Meghalaya.

(IANS)