Suspected rebels of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland abducted an officer of the Indian Forest Service of Maharashtra from Arunachal Pradesh.
Security sources told this newspaper on Thursday that the incident took place on Wednesday when V.S. Bardekar, an officer of the Maharashtra government, presently posted in social forestry department in Pune, was on his way back to his resort in Bhalukpong, a border town of Arunachal Pradesh.
According to reports, Mr Badrekar was staying at a resort in Bhalukpong since Tuesday to see the flora and fauna of the frontier state. On Wednesday morning, he went to see the orchid garden and flora and fauna around the area with a local guide. On his way back to the resort at around 8 pm, some armed militants stopped his car and whisked him away at gun-point, security sources said adding that Mr Bardekar’s guide and driver of the vehicle is said to have reported the incident to the Bhalupong police which have launched a massive manhunt to rescue the officer. Though, it was not known if Mr Badrekar was on an official visit or private trip, he is said to have been working as joint director of the social forestry department of the Maharashtra government.
No senior police officer of the Arunachal police in Itanagar could be contacted for their reaction immediately.
However, security sources in Assam told this newspaper that they have received a communication from their counterpart in Arunachal Pradesh regarding the abduction of a tourist.