Surrendered cadre of the ULFA-I revealed that the third kidnapped ONGC employee – Ritul Saikia is with the ULFA-I.

A statement from the defence read “The cadre also revealed that in all probability, the third kidnapped ONGC personnel, Mr Ritul Saikia is with ULFA-I”.

ULFA(I) cadres abducted three ONGC employees on April 21, 2021 from Romanian work-over rig of ONGC at Lakwa under Sivasagar district.

The “rescue of two among the three abductees, Mohini Mohan Gogoi and Alakesh Saikia in good health has brought some relief to the families as well as to ONGC family and general public”.  

The ULFA-I cadre surrendered before the security forces near the India-Myanmar border in Nagaland’s Mon district before the Assam Rifles troopers on 8th May.

The surrender came following “concentrated efforts of Tuensang Battalion of IGAR (North) under Spear Corps to convince insurgent cadres to join the mainstream”.

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma urged the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I) and other insurgent groups in the state to join peace process with both the state and the Centre.

Sarma said, “Violence, kidnapping, extortion can never solve problems, it only makes things complicated”.