Abducted ONGC employee Ritul Saikia enters India

Guwahati: Abducted ONGC employee Ritul Saikia has entered the Indian territory at 7:10 AM on Saturday, May 22 in Mon district, Nagaland along the India-Myanmar border. He was released by the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) on Friday morning.

After being released, Saikia told reporters on the Indian side that he has been walking for 3-4 hours at a stretch since Friday through very difficult terrain. The need for Saikia's release came within hours of Assam Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma making a 'fervent plea' to ULFA(I) chief Paresh Baruah to release the captivated ONGC employee.

Saikia has been in captivity since April 21 this year.

On May 18, CM Sarma had met Ritul Saikia's parents and his wife and four-month-old baby at their residence in Titabar, Jorhat.

The CM had met the family of Saikia just a day after taking over as the CM of Assam on May 10. He had met them during his Majuli trip on May 11.

Saikia was kidnapped along with two other ONGC employees from ONGC's Lakwa oil field in the Sibsagar district of Assam on April 21 this year. The other two employees, Mohini Mohan Gogoi and Alakesh Saikia were rescued during a joint operation conducted by Assam Police, Army, and Nagaland Police on April 24, within three days of being abducted by ULFA-I. They were rescued from the Mon district of Nagaland.

Saikia is currently in the custody of Assam Rifles and will be handed over to Assam Police after reaching the state's borders.

Also Read: Abducted ONGC employee Ritul Saikia's family meets CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

Also Watch: