Agartala, Feb 22: Tripura Police have dismissed claims circulating on social media that militants were involved in the abduction of two employees from an ONGC-linked drilling site in South Tripura, clarifying that the incident was carried out by “miscreants” and not by any extremist group.
According to an official press statement issued by the South Tripura District Police, a joint operation by Gomati and South Tripura police led to the safe rescue of the two abducted employees within three hours of the incident.
The incident took place on the night of February 21 at around 8:30–9:00 PM in the Shilachhari police station area, where unidentified individuals forcibly abducted two staff members from a drilling centre at Devtamura. The victims have been identified as Engineer B.C. Joshi and crew member Amit Kumar.
Superintendent of Police (Gomati), Gaman Joy Reang, stated that police received information shortly after the abduction and immediately launched a coordinated operation. Checkpoints were set up across multiple routes, and nearby police stations were alerted to block possible escape paths.
“With no escape routes left, the abductors abandoned the victims near Baikhora market upon noticing police patrol vehicles and fled the scene,” the SP said.
The rescued individuals were brought safely to Shilachhari Police Station, and both were reported to be unharmed.
Addressing rumours being widely shared online, SP Reang categorically denied any involvement of extremist groups.
“I want to clarify that this is not an act of militancy. There is no extremist involvement in this case. It is entirely the work of miscreants,” he said, adding that there has been no extremist activity in the area since 2014.
Police have registered a case under relevant sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), and a detailed investigation is underway. A special team comprising officers from multiple police stations has been formed to identify and apprehend those involved.
Meanwhile, local sources suggest that the incident may be linked to disputes over contractual payments, although police have not confirmed this angle officially.
The incident had triggered panic across the state, especially after unverified claims of militant involvement went viral on social media. Authorities have urged the public not to spread misinformation and to rely on official sources for accurate updates.
