Intense search on for rescuing abducted bank manager
Source: Hueiyen News Service / Newmai News Network
Shillong, June 17 2014:
Intense search operation is underway in South Garo Hills district of Meghalaya by the state and central forces to rescue the kidnapped bank manager.
State Bank of India (SBI) Branch Manager (BM) of Ampati Mr Arvind Kumar was kidnapped on Monday morning by 3 unknown miscreants at gun point.
When contacted, a police officer said the search operation is underway.
He refused to divulge whether the police have clues as to which group could have been behind the abduction of the SBI branch manager.
Arvind Kumar was on his way to the town of Ampati from Guwahati when his vehicle was stopped by 3 men with automatic pistols in Rangatari near the Garobadha Bridge.
He was then taken at gun point along with his driver to a nearby jungle where his driver was sent back with his vehicle (an i20 car bearing number plate AS01 AP 3337.) The whole incident happened at about 9 am.
The place falls under the South West Garo Hills (SWGH) district.
A massive combing operation has been launched to nab the unidentified militants involved in the abduction of Kumar.
"Security forces from West and South West Garo Hills are conducting a joint operation along the Garobadha - Rangsakona area," said Superintendent of Police (SP), West Garo Hills (WGH), Mukesh Singh.
A slightly different account of the events has been given by the Police who said Kumar was travelling with his driver Sanjay Mahanta, when 3 suspected militants stopped their i20 vehicle near the bridge at Garobadha, and took them at gunpoint.
Mahanta hails from Mankachar in Assam.
"First they asked for money and on his refusal, the 3 militants sat in the back seat and asked the driver to take the vehicle towards Rangsakona.
After reaching Rangsakona, they kept the manager and asked the driver to move on with his vehicle," said Singh.
Kumar joined SBI as a probationary officer in 2008.He started his career as assistant manager of Chandmari branch in Tura.
After his promotion last year, he was posted at Ampati as its branch manager.
He hails from Bihta in Bihar.
The driver of the vehicle is now being questioned.The Assistant General Manager of SBI Garo Hills, Nixon Joseph has appealed to the abductors to release the official who has come from outside to serve the region and its people.
Nixon in his appeal said, "Bank officials are depending only on their salary for their livelihood.
I request those who have kidnapped the official to release him as he has to support his family and his child.
SBI is trying its best to develop Garo Hills and incidents like this would only dampen our efforts to do more for Garo Hills" .