Ulfa releases video of BJP leader Ratneswar Moran's son appealing for his release; demands Rs 1 crore

Guwahati: The anti-talk faction of Ulfa militants on Monday released video footage of a youth abducted from Assam and demanded a ransom of Rs 1 crore. [caption id=“attachment_2970712” align=“alignleft” width=“380”] A screengrab from the video released by Ulfa. CNN-News18[/caption] They released a video showing Kuldip Moran appealing to his family, BJP legislator Bolin Chetia and Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to secure his release by paying the outlawed outfit. The video shows a terrified Kuldip surrounded by five armed and black masked youth. He pleads for his life and talks about his failing health as he fears for his life in the crossfire between militants and the state. Kuldip says, “Ulfa has abducted me. They have been shifting me from one place to another. I appeal to my parents, Bolin-da (Brother Bolin Chetia) and Sarbananda Sonowal to secure my release. My health has deteriorated and I’ll die in cross firing someday if I have to be with them.” The Ulfa faction in a statement last week had admitted that the outfit’s eastern command unit had abducted Kuldip, son of Ratneswar Moran. Ratneswar is the vice-president of Tinsukia Zila Parishad and a close aide of Sadiya legislator Bolin Chetia. The outfit had demanded Rs 1 crore for the release of Moran and directed that the amount be collected from Chetia. Kuldip’s father Ratnesawar, however, has expressed his inability to pay the ransom. “They (Ulfa) have demanded Rs 1 crore for the release of my son Kuldip. Forget about Rs 1 crore, I cannot even pay Rs 1 lakh. I can only request the kidnappers to release my son without any condition,” said Ratneswar Moran. Chetia too, has appealed to the Ulfa faction to release the youth unconditionally and said that neither the family nor he can pay the huge ransom. He said that he had received a call from an Ulfa leader who identified himself to be one Joy Asom about two week back and demanded the money for releasing Kuldip.