Rebels free Maha officer after 83 days
With pro-active effort of security agencies and intense negotiation, senior IFS officer of Maharashtra Vilas S. Bardekar was released by outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland rebels in Central Assam’s Sontipur district on Sunday night.
He was released by his captors at Batashipur near Dhekiajuli and handed over to his family members who were camping in Guwahati. Former Maharashtra inspector general of police and Mr Baredkar’s uncle S.S. Suradkar was instrumental in securing the release of the forest officer after 83 days of captivity.
If insiders are to be believed, the Bodo rebels were paid a sizeable amount of ransom for his release. The NDFB rebels had demanded a ransom of Rs 4 crore but his family friends were reported to have been negotiating the amount with his abductors. Security sources also admitted that police helped the family in finalising the deal with the abductors.
Mr Bardekar, in his early 50s, is a 1984 batch Indian Forest Service officer and is currently posted as joint director (administration) in the social forestry directorate in Pune. He was kidnapped on May 12 from a forest in Arunachal’s West Kameng district while he was carrying out a study on butterfly species there.
Mr Suradkar, however, told reporters, “It was because of the prayers of people of Maharashtra and other parts of India, and the strong efforts by Maharashtra forest minister Patangrao Kadam and others which brought joy to the family.”
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