Ulfa-I releases ONGC employee

Keeping his commitment to Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, the outlawed Ulfa chief Paresh Baruah is reported to have dispatched the abducted ONGC employee Ritul Saikia with a small group of Ulfa-I cadres from the camp in Myanmar to release him in India.

Disclosing that ONGC employee Ritul Saikia is expected to enter India sometime on Saturday, authoritative security sources told this newspaper that there have been speculation about his release but the abducted ONGC employee is yet to be handed over by Ulfa-I to authorities in India.

Pointing out that Ritul Saikia would be released or handed over to some “nominated” people in Mon district of Nagaland, security sources however claimed that Ulfa-I cadres have already started from their remote camps in Myanmar with Ritul Saikia towards the International Border where he is expected to be released.

Refusing to divulge to whom ONGC employee would be handed over by Ulfa-I cadres, security sources said that they have already reached Nagaland.

The Ulfa-I chief’s announcement to release the abducted ONGC employee came soon after Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s appeal on Thursday and welcome to Ulfa-I’s unilateral ceasefire because of the pandemic.

Referring that he was appealing to Ulfa-I chief as an Assamese not as chief minister because the wife of abducted ONGC employee and parents are suffering immensely and are in distress situation, the chief minister also welcomed the unilateral ceasefire.

He on Thursday said, “We welcome any positive step, but a ceasefire will need ground rules for implementation (and) we look forward to a more solid indication from the outfit.”