With an AK-56 rifle constantly being pointed at his head, 50-year-old
Bandamuri Nagamalleswara Rao kept his fingers crossed. With hardly
anything to eat, he survived mostly on water for full six days inside
the dense forests of Assam before finally being freed by the Assam
police on Sunday. Rao, an engineer, who was kidnapped by militants
six days ago, is still in a state of shock and his health has
considerably deteriorated. Incharge of a crushing unit of
Hyderabad-based Vashishta Constructions, he was abducted by five heavily
armed masked militants, who demanded a ransom of `6 crore for his
release. According to police officials, soon after Rao was
abducted and taken into the forest, his mobile phone was snatched. Using
the same phone, his abductors called up his office to inform that they
had kidnapped Rao. “When Rao wanted to talk to his children, they
refused,” a police official said, adding that Rao was given anything to
eat, but left to starve. Prakasam district Superintendent of Police (SP)
P Pramod Kumar who was in constant touch with the Assam police ever
since the kidnap, told Express that an extortion gang had kidnapped Rao
and threatened him with rifles. However, they did not harm him. “Assam
Rifles has confirmed that the extremists who kidnapped Rao are not Bodo
militants. Local extremists who had procured high-end weapons
illegally, committed the offence. They extort money from firms and units
located in Haflong district of Assam,” the SP said and added that Rao
spoke to his children soon after his release and informed them that he
is safe. Meanwhile, Rao who was rescued by Assam Rifles with the
assistance of local police, was admitted to a local hospital in Assam
for medical check-up after he complained of body pains, and stomach
pain.
By Mouli Mareedu
moulimareedu@gmail.com
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