Two kidnapped NTPC employees untraced even after one week

Patna, Oct 12 (UNI) Two employees of Public sector National Thermal Power Corporation (NTPC), who were abducted by suspected ultras last week at Lalmatia village in neighbouring Jharkhand, remained untraced so far, deepening concern about their safety, besides forcing the NTPC employees to go on stir in protest.

Senior NTPC sources told UNI here today that since Senior Supervisor Dibyojyoti Acharya and his office colleague at Farakka in West Bengal Subrata Dam were abducted by an armed gang on October 6 from the remote village, there was no news about their whereabouts so far, nor was it known whether they were still alive.

The car in which Mr Acharya and Mr Dam were returning to NTPC's Farakka office after inspecting the construction of a NTPC-funded school building at the village, was intercepted by a 15-member armed gang at a lonely spot and both the officials, along with the driver, were taken to an undisclosed place.

Though the local driver was let off after some time without being harmed in any way, both the NTPC employees were kidnapped by the armed miscreants, the sources said, adding that the school building was being constructed by the NTPC as a part of its Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR).

The sources denied that there was any demand for ransom so far from the unidentifed abductors, leading to more confusion about the motive of the abduction.

However, Mr Acharya and Mr Dam were allowed to make a phone call on October 8 to prove that they were still alive.

''We are totally in the dark about the whole episode but we are leaving no stone unturned to trace the victims,'' the sources said, adding that special forces of the Jharkhand and Bihar police had were combing the entire forest area of Godda district in Jharkhand and neighbouring Bhagalpur district in Bihar to trace the abducted officials.

An officer of the Inspector General (IG) rank of Jharkhand police was also camping at Lalmatia to coordinate the rescue and combing operations.

Meanwhile, demanding immediate release of both the abducted officials, NTPC employees at Farakka plant intensified their agitation and urged the authorities to take up the issue with the state government and at higher level.

Besides, organising daily sit-in demonstrations in front of the main gate, the NTPC employees at Farakka took out a silent torch rally around the township last night and blocked National Highway 34 for nearly two hours, the sources added.

UNI