ONGC kidnapping: Assam Police to step up security in OIL, ONGC sites

Guwahati, April 23 (SocialNews.XYZ) Three days after the kidnapping of three technical staffers of ONGC by the outlawed ULFA-I, the Assam government on Friday asked the district police authorities to intensify the security arrangements OIL and ONGC infrastructures in eastern Assam, officials said.

A police spokesman said in Guwahati that the state government has asked all the Superintendents of Police of eastern and northeastern Assam districts to review and to step up the security arrangements of Oil India Ltd (OIL) and Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) infrastructures under their jurisdictions, especially those located in interior areas.

He said that the police have arrested 14 linkmen and sympathisers of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent who were helping the banned outfit directly or indirectly.

Special Director General of Police, Law and Order, G.P. Singh, has been camping at Lakuwa in Sivasagar district since Wednesday to supervise the operation to trace the hostages.The spokesman told the media that it is suspected that the kidnapped officials have been taken towards Nagaland.

"Besides the senior officers of Nagaland Police, all army and para-military bases located in the area have been alerted to find out the captives," he said.

The three kidnapped employees are Mohini Mohan Gogoi, 35, and Ritul Saikia,33, both junior technicians (Production), and Alakesh Saikia, 28, a Junior Engineering Assistant (Production).

Gogoi is a resident of Dibrugarh district and other two employees are inhabitants of Jorhat district.

An ONGC statement said that the abduction took place from a rig site of the company in Lakuwa field of Sivasagar, and the abducted employees were taken away in an ambulance vehicle belonging to ONGC. Later, the vehicle was found abandoned near the Nimonagarh jungles close to the Assam-Nagaland border.

Source: IANS