The United Liberation Front of Asom on Saturday claimed that the elder son of its commander-in-chief Paresh Barua was abducted and tortured but released later to pressure him to disclose his father's whereabouts, sources of income and business.
The banned outfit claimed it had clues to the abductors and said investigations were on to gather more information.
In a statement, ULFA spokesman Arunodoi Dohotia said Arindam had been abducted on a road and the kidnappers covered his face with a black cloth and subjected him to rigorous questioning. The outfit alleged that the abductors forced Arindam to call Barua from their phones. But it was not possible as Arindam was not in direct contact with his father. Consequently, he was severely beaten up, Mr Dohotia claimed.
“We strongly condemn this incident and reiterate our inability to sit on the negotiation table at gunpoint.” This episode “is highly significant” and pointed to a “dangerous future,” said the statement.
On Thursday, Barua alleged that his son had been taken hostage. He, however, did not disclose who the abductors were and where his son was kidnapped.
“No compromise”
The ULFA leader alleged that “taking his son hostage” was an attempt at mounting pressure on him to surrender or give up his ideology and objectives. But he would not compromise on the issue of “Assam's sovereignty.”
“I will rather feel proud to sacrifice my son for the nation. Life of children is not [more] precious than the nation. My son is no different from sons of thousands of fathers. So I want to apprise the indigenous people that there will be no compromise on the issue of Assam's sovereignty,” said Barua.
