Hyderabad: Bodo militants released senior engineer B. Ankana Rao at 4 am on Tuesday on the Aie river bridge in Chirang district of Assam. Bollineni Seenaiah & Company, for which Rao was working, claimed that it hadn’t paid any ransom to the rebels and they had released him after listening to his story.
Speaking to this correspondent over the phone from Assam, after his release, Rao said, “I pleaded with them and told them that I was the only bread winner in the family and have two children. I told them of my personal hardship and how important my job was for the survival of my family”
Back in Chirala in Prakasam district, Rao’s family said that this was the best New Year’s gift for them. “I’m relieved after speaking to my husband. We expect him to visit us soon. Our children, Anil and Nusham, are also happy about this release,” said B. Vani, Rao’s wife.
Speaking about his abduction, Rao said, “Around six armed militants kidnapped me 10 days ago. I was very tensed and anxious. They put me in a house in an undisclosed location and guarded me in groups of four to six. They fed me well and didn’t assault me physically. They also didn’t tell me why I had been kidnapped.”
Seenaiah Company manager S. Bhaskar said, “We didn’t pay any ransom. They released Ank-ana Rao on their own. After he was released, he took an autorickshaw to Champuri camp. He was sitting near a tea stall when our driver saw him and brought him to us.”
