Drilling superintendent, radio operator of oil company abducted in Arunachal Pradesh

Tinsukia. Two employees of a private oil-drilling company were kidnapped from their drilling site in Diyun circle in Changlang district of Arunachal Pradesh on Monday evening.

The victims were identified as PK Gogoi, hailing from Sivasagar in Assam, and Ram Kumar, hailing from Bihar, employed with Quippo Oil & Gas Infrastructure Limited. The company operates on many drilling sites in Assam and Arunachal Pradesh.

Confirming the development, deputy commissioner of Changlang Devansh Yadav said security forces are trying to track both the persons.

PK Gogoi is the drilling superintendent of rig number 3 belonging to the company while Ram Kumar was working as the radio operator.

“We cannot confirm the role of any outfit behind the kidnapping at this point of time,” Mihin Gambo, superintendent of Changlang police said, adding, “A search operation has been launched and the Army has been called in.”

According to sources, a group of over a dozen armed persons came and picked the duo. “They moved on foot in the direction of Balipathar village,” the sources added.

He said, “The armed persons were looking for one Keshav Gogoi and confronted the other employees regarding their extortion demand which is yet to be met.”

A source in intelligence agency said the kidnapping could be a handiwork of NSCN -IM or ULFA (I)). “Movement of NSCN – IM cadres have been noticed for two weeks in the Miao circle. Those miscreants were in possession of M16 and MQ weapons,” the source added. Miao is a sub-division in Changlang district, located about 25 km from the Assam border. It is one of the 60 constituencies of Arunachal.