Arunachal: Petrol pump cashier abducted at gunpoint; released after 21 days

A cashier of a petrol pump, who was abducted at gunpoint by unidentified miscreants from Namsai district of Arunachal Pradesh, was released on Tuesday after 21 days, police said.

Dinesh Sharma, an employee of the fuel outlet at Chongkham in the district, was released in the Medo area under the Wakro circle in Lohit district, Namsai Superintendent of Police DW Thungon said.

“The person is still in a state of shock, and the investigation is on to identify the group behind the abduction,” he said.

Locals claimed that banned ULFA (I) was behind the kidnapping.

Sharma, who works at the petroleum outlet of a state-run oil marketing company, was kidnapped by three gunmen on April 26 evening.

The outlet is owned by Jenia Namchoom, a zilla parishad member (ZPM).

The gunmen opened fire during the abduction, and Mithai Marandi (28), the driver of the fuel outlet owner, was critically injured and later died at a hospital in Assam’s Dibrugarh district.