Karbi militants behind forest officials' abduction: Minister

Assam Forest Minister Rockybul Hussain Monday confirmed it was the Karbi militant outfit Karbi Peoples’ Liberation Tigers (KPLT) that was behind the abduction of two senior forest officials in Karbi Anglong district last week.

Although police have suspected the hand of the KPLT in the incident, the outfit Sunday denied their involvement.

"Police have confirmed evidence of the involvement of the KPLT in the abduction,” said Hussain Monday in the state assembly while replying to opposition queries.
Police and security forces have been doing their best to secure the release of the two senior forest officials, he added.

"We are not going to believe what the militants have said. Police and security forces, who are conducting the search and rescue operations in and around the district, have evidence of KPLT’s hand behind the abduction,” Hussain said.

A delegation of forest officials led by Chief Conservator of Forest Abhijit Rabha, had gone to the Singhasan Hills in Karbi Anglong to conduct a forest department survey Feb 27.

While about 30 of them returned to district headquarters Diphu safely Feb 29, armed militants abducted Rabha and his colleague Ranjan Baruah Saturday when they were returning to Diphu with the rest of the team members.