Naga militants kidnap 12-yr-old boy in Golaghat, seek ransom

JORHAT: Suspected Naga militants have kidnapped a 12-year-old boy from Borpathar area of Assam's Golaghat district and demanded Rs 8 lakh from his family to free him. Ankur Hazarika, a Class VI student from Jorhatiagaon under Borpathar police station went missing on Monday evening. Some Naga militants called up his family at around 10am on Tuesday from an undisclosed location and sought a ransom of Rs 8 lakh. "Ankur went out at around 6pm on yesterday evening and never returned home. We have filed a missing complaint at Borpathar police station. We have told the police about the ransom demand of the kidnappers. They spoke in Nagamese," a member of Ankur's family said. The officer in-charge of Borpathar police station said, "A case has been registered and we are investigating the matter. However, the militants who were behind the abduction are yet to be identified. We have also picked up one person from Baromukhiagaon, located near the residence of the kidnapped boy, in connection with the case and are interrogating him," he said, adding the kidnapped boy lost his father a few years ago and now the family is living below the poverty line. Of late, Naga militants have stepped up their antisocial activities in Golaghat district. On August 14, an Assamese businessman of Merapani area in Golaghat district was hacked to death by some Naga miscreants in Bhandari area of Nagaland; the incident triggered tension in the border areas of both the states. A group of suspected Naga militants attacked15 families and damaged properties in Upper Merapani area the following day. A house was also burnt down in the area subsequent to the incident and villagers took shelter at Merapani police station to save themselves from Nagas attacks. In July, Naga militants kidnapped an Assamese businessman from Merapani and sought a ransom of Rs 5 lakh. Another youth who was pursuing his MCA at a Guwahati-based IT College was also arrested by rebels on June 18 and demanded Rs 20 lakh from his family.