7 Haryana students missing in Asom, parents fear ULFA hand

Karnal, Feb 14 (UNI) Seven Haryana boys, studying in Navodaya Vidyalaya in Asom's Tinsukia district, are missing from their school in mysterious circumstances since Sunday and the parents apprehend the hand of ULFA insurgents.

The class ninth students had gone to a public phone booth near the school to call up their parents here on Sunday afternoon, but they neither returned nor did their parents receive any call from them, Karnal S P Shibas Kaviraj told UNI.

''A hunt to trace the missing students - Rajesh Kumar, Amandeep, Karampal, Sonu, Ratinder, Amritpal and Veerbhan- was on in Tinsukia,'' Mr Kaviraj said, adding, he was in touch with SP Tinsukia, P K Ghuiya, over the incident.

Meanwhile, the parents have expressed strong apprehensions that their children could have been abducted by Ulfa militants.

The students belonging to Navodaya Vidyalaya Karnal were studying in Tinsukia under the special programme of studying in Navodaya Vidyalaya of another state.

Principal of the Karnal Navodaya Vidyalaya, Dr Amar Kaur, received information about the incident on Monday evening and intimated the parents on Tuesday.

UNI