GUWAHATI: Russian mining engineer Sergei Grischenko, kidnapped by United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) militants from the north eastern state of Assam, has been killed.
Gritchenko was killed in an encounter after he tried to escape from ULFA custody, a statement signed by ULFA’s central publicity secretary Siddhartha Phukan said.
The statement, dated July 7 and received here Tuesday night, said Grisenchko snatched away arms from one of the militants guarding him and in the shootout that followed an ULFA militant was also killed.
It did not mention the place and date where the encounter took place.
Earlier, the ULFA had offered to release Grischenko and another oil and natural gas (ONGC) official in lieu of six of their members by 1800 hrs. (Local time) Tuesday.
The six hard core militants were released Tuesday from different jails by the govt before the expiry of the deadline as demanded by the Front.
The process was on to release all the ULFA detainees in a phased manner as per the declaration of general amnesty Monday by Assam chief minister Hiteswar Saikia in a bid to restore peace in the state.
The ULFA had kidnapped 14 ONGC officials, including the Russian mining engineer, from different parts of Assam on July 1. It released one ONGC official on the same day of the kidnapping at Jorhat in upper Assam on July 1, meanwhile, the fate of the other hostages is not known.
Article extracted from this publication >> July 12, 1991
