By IANS,
Itanagar : The youngest son of former Arunachal Pradesh chief minister Gegong Apang and a music teacher who were kidnapped by unidentified gunmen from the heart of the capital Itanagar continue to be in captivity with police yet to get any clue, officials said Friday.
A police spokesperson said Getam Apang, 20, and a music teacher, Narendra Rai, were abducted at gunpoint from near the Donyi Polo Music School in Itanagar late Wednesday. Police Thursday recovered Apang’s abandoned car near the Holongi forest, 18 km from Itanagar along the border with Assam.
“There is no breakthrough yet, although efforts are on to rescue them,” district magistrate Bidul Tayeng told IANS.
The abductors on Thursday telephoned Apang’s family and sought an unspecified ransom amount for the duo.
“The caller did not mention anything about the amount and their identity, nor any deadline or location where the money should be paid. After that there were no more phone calls,” Tayeng said.
Getam runs the Donyi Polo Music School and Rai is a music teacher. The two were to leave for Guwahati for a concert on the night of their abduction.
Police officials as well as Apang’s kin suspect the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), a militant group in Assam that is now on a ceasefire with New Delhi.
“The border area between Assam and Arunachal Pradesh is still a stronghold of the NDFB and despite the ceasefire their cadres carry out extortions and kidnapping for ransom,” a senior police official said on condition of anonymity.
The Arunachal Pradesh government, meanwhile, announced a cash reward of Rs.500,000 to anyone providing a lead to the case.
“We are adopting a very cautious approach as doing something hasty might endanger the lives of the two who were being held hostage,” the police official said.
Gegong Apang is a legislator of the ruling Congress party in the state although he is not in the good books of the present government in Arunachal Pradesh. He was toppled last year by Dorjee Khandu.
“We are looking at other angles as well. Political rivalry could also be one of the reasons for the abduction,” the police official said.