GUWAHATI: The ULFA has executed B.S.Raju an ONGC engineer who was one of the eight hostages abducted by it on Saturday night. His bullet-ridden body was found on a railway track at Somalguri railway crossing in Sibsagar district this morning.
Ragu was kidnapped on July 1 along with 15 other officials. This killing follows the ULFA’s warning after the state government’s refusal to release TADA detenus.
Also shot dead was Bipul Mahanta leader of the Assam chapter of Amnesty International Mahanta’s role in mediatory efforts became controversial and unsuccessful with both the government and the ULFA refusing to climb down from their demands. Mahanta was shot dead by two men in Guwahati on Sunday morning.
In New Delhi the Minister of State for Petroleum and Natural Gas Krishna Kumar condemned the “inhuman act” of the ULFA and expressed his “deep shock and dismay” to the family of the killed ONGC engineer. Krishna Kumar claimed that the ONGC has announced an ex gratia grant of Rs.5 lakhs for the family of the deceased engineer. Immediate steps are being taken to employ one of Raju’s next of kin in the ONGC he added.
Krishna Kumar also spoke to the Assam Chief Minister Hiteshwar Saikia and expressed the concern of the oil industry personnel over the incident In another letter to the ONGC Chairman S.L.Khosla the minister assured the personnel employed in the oil sector that the government would leave no stone unturned in its efforts to ensure proper security and protection to those working in sensitive areas. He appealed to the personnel to exercise caution and keeps their morale high in their steadfast work for the nation “lest we fall into the trap of the very forces who are working against the interests of the nation” according to a press release.
Raju is the second engineer to be killed in captivity by the outlawed ULFA since its activists intensified their movement and started kidnapping people in different parts of the state. Earlier Soviet engineer Sergei Gritchenko was kidnapped by the ULFA and killed. His body however could not be found.
Meanwhile reports from Tezpur in Sonitpur district said that the beheaded body of a man identified as that of a local resident Dhanendra Saikia was discovered in the town.
The ULFA had been threatening to kill eight hostages including Raju kidnapped on July 1 “one by one” if the government did not accept their demand for the release of 16 ULFA TADA detainees.
The killings have sent shock waves all over and the Chief Minister Hiteshwar Saikia is scheduled to address an emergent cabinet meeting later in the day.
Article extracted from this publication >> September 13, 1991
