Abducted Meghalaya engineers freed: Police

India Gazette (IANS) Saturday 4th February, 2012

Two engineers kidnapped by terrorist outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) were released unharmed Saturday after 10 days in captivity, police said.

Assistant executive engineer Apus Pothmi and junior engineer Bonnieface Majaw of the Meghalaya Energy Corporation Limited (MeECL), posted in West Garo Hills district, were freed by the rebels, Additional Director General of Police S.K. Jain said.

"All that we know now is that they have reached their official quarters at Rongkhon between 10.30 and 10.40 p.m. today (Saturday). We are waiting for further details," Jain told IANS.

The GNLA, which was declared a terrorist organisation, had claimed the two engineers were abducted due to the failure of the government to provide power connectivity in the three insurgency-affected districts of Garo Hills in western Meghalaya.

The government, on the other hand, said it has launched various schemes for improving power supplies, including implementing the Rajiv Gandhi rural electrification programme in Garo Hills.

On Jan 24, armed GNLA rebels abducted three MeECL engineers -- Apus Pothmi, Bonnieface Majaw and Marshal R. Swer -- at gunpoint from their quarters in Rongkhon area, 318 km west of state capital Shillong. Swer was later released unharmed.

Family members of the abducted officials, who have been praying for their safe return, said they had no information about the engineers.

Several organisations, including MeECL employees, separately appealed to the GNLA for the immediate and unconditional release of the engineers on humanitarian grounds.

Over 30 people, including security personnel, have been killed while more than 10 were abducted for ransom in the area in the last one year by GNLA rebels.