Parents of kidnapped WWF volunteer in shock

Shillong, Feb 8 (PTI) Parents of a World WildlifeFund-India volunteer, who along with five other co-workerswere kidnapped by armed militants in Assam on Sunday, are in astate of shock and have appealed for their daughter�s release.

Pallabi Chakraborty, 25, along with her colleagues ToraliGoswami, Shrabana Goswami, Syed Naushad Zaman, Pranjal Saikiaand Gautom Kishore Sharma were abducted by suspected militantsat Ultapani forest range under Manas National Park, near theIndo-Bhutan border, in western Assam�s Kokrajhar districtwhere they were on a field work.

Five of them are residents of Assam and the other is fromShillong.

Based in Shillong, Pallabi�s father Gopal Chakraborty,who is a tailor, wondered why the six volunteers were abductedand made a humble appeal for their release.

�Pallabi is passionate about preserving environment. Shehas no political leaning. Her commitment is only towardsconservation. I humbly appeal to the abductors to release herand the co-workers,� Chakraborty told reporters here.

The police had not yet contacted the family, he said. �Icame to know of the abduction from a friend who watched thenews in TV last evening. WWF officials are in touch.�

Pallabi, who had a very good academic record, bagging thefirst class fifth rank in M.Sc. Botany from North EasternHills University after achieving first class second rank indegree courses, joined the WWF project only a few months back.

She had gone to the Manas National Park on January 18 andwas scheduled to leave for the Sunderbans after completion ofthe project in about a months� time. PTI RTJ MD

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