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GARTALA: In a desperate bid to make its presence felt, militants belonging to the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) kidnapped six
Chakmas from Raishyabari, a village along the Indo-Bangla border, in Tripura's Dhalai district on Thursday.
Though the rebels freed three of the villagers, they held the rest hostage and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh for their amnesty, police said.
The NLFT militants had earlier targeted the Chakmas in remote villages bordering Bangladesh. Incidentally, the Chakmas are the only ethnic group in Tripura from which militant outfits in the state never got any cadre.
Police said Jayanta Bikash Chakma, Shanti Ranjan Chakma, Janmachandra Chakma, Jyotiranjan Chakma, Koloni Mohan Chakma and Tangula Chakma had gone to Ratan Nagar from their village, Bangla Bijay Para.
The six, suspected to have been involved in smuggling, had gone to Chittagong Hill Tract and were abducted by the NLFT militants on their way back to Bangla Bijay Para.
"Later, the rebels released Shanti Ranjan, Janmachandra and Tangula, but sent a ransom note with them demanding Rs 5 lakh for the safe release' of the remaining three," DIG (Operations) Nepal Das said. He added that led by Dhalai SP G K Rao, police have launched a massive manhunt in the area. Sources said the militants might have taken the three hostages to Bangladesh and kept them at some of their hideouts in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
This is not the first time that the NLFT militants attacked the Chakmas. Earlier in 2004 and 2005, the rebels had attacked Chakma villages in the same district many times. On May 10, 2005, the NLFT militants had shot dead five youths belonging to the community and burnt down 19 huts at Chakmapara ( Jorendra Karbaripara) and Madanjay Para.
Following the repeated attacks during the period, altogether 217 Chakma families had fled their villages in Kalajhari Hill Range like Kalamari Biswakarma Para, Kinamohan Karbari Para, Thanadhan Para and taken shelter in safer places like Gandacherra and Bulangbasa.
"Of late, the NLFT is on the back foot following stepped up security operations against them. Their movements have also been restricted to a large extent. Besides, the tribals are up in arms against them," said a senior police officer.
Incidentally, the Chakmas had vehemently resisted the NLFT militants whenever the latter came to their villages on an extortion drive. They even lynched two rebels in the Raishyabari area in 2005.
GARTALA: In a desperate bid to make its presence felt, militants belonging to the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) kidnapped six
Chakmas from Raishyabari, a village along the Indo-Bangla border, in Tripura's Dhalai district on Thursday.
Though the rebels freed three of the villagers, they held the rest hostage and demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh for their amnesty, police said.
The NLFT militants had earlier targeted the Chakmas in remote villages bordering Bangladesh. Incidentally, the Chakmas are the only ethnic group in Tripura from which militant outfits in the state never got any cadre.
Police said Jayanta Bikash Chakma, Shanti Ranjan Chakma, Janmachandra Chakma, Jyotiranjan Chakma, Koloni Mohan Chakma and Tangula Chakma had gone to Ratan Nagar from their village, Bangla Bijay Para.
The six, suspected to have been involved in smuggling, had gone to Chittagong Hill Tract and were abducted by the NLFT militants on their way back to Bangla Bijay Para.
"Later, the rebels released Shanti Ranjan, Janmachandra and Tangula, but sent a ransom note with them demanding Rs 5 lakh for the safe release' of the remaining three," DIG (Operations) Nepal Das said. He added that led by Dhalai SP G K Rao, police have launched a massive manhunt in the area. Sources said the militants might have taken the three hostages to Bangladesh and kept them at some of their hideouts in Chittagong Hill Tracts.
This is not the first time that the NLFT militants attacked the Chakmas. Earlier in 2004 and 2005, the rebels had attacked Chakma villages in the same district many times. On May 10, 2005, the NLFT militants had shot dead five youths belonging to the community and burnt down 19 huts at Chakmapara ( Jorendra Karbaripara) and Madanjay Para.
Following the repeated attacks during the period, altogether 217 Chakma families had fled their villages in Kalajhari Hill Range like Kalamari Biswakarma Para, Kinamohan Karbari Para, Thanadhan Para and taken shelter in safer places like Gandacherra and Bulangbasa.
"Of late, the NLFT is on the back foot following stepped up security operations against them. Their movements have also been restricted to a large extent. Besides, the tribals are up in arms against them," said a senior police officer.
Incidentally, the Chakmas had vehemently resisted the NLFT militants whenever the latter came to their villages on an extortion drive. They even lynched two rebels in the Raishyabari area in 2005.
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