The Hindu : National : My father was murdered, says FCI official’s son

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Saturday, Jul 14, 2007
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National

My father was murdered, says FCI official’s son

Staff Reporter

Disputes security agencies’ claim
“Encounter was stage-managed”

NEW DELHI: The body of P. C. Ram, Executive Director (North-East) of the Food Corporation of India (FCI), who was killed in a gun battle between the security forces and members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in Assam on Wednesday night, was brought to the Capital on Friday.

The body was brought here by around 5.30 p.m. by his son Pravin Ram, whose family reached Assam on Thursday night from Ghaziabad. P.C. Ram is survived by his wife, Pravin and a daughter.

The final rites will take place at Lodhi Road crematorium at 4 p.m. on Saturday after post-mortem examination, said Mr. Pravin.

Disputing the security agencies’ claim that Ram was killed in an exchange of fire between the ULFA and security personnel, Mr. Pravin alleged that his father was “murdered”. “How come all three persons, including my father, killed in the encounter had bullet injuries in the head? He was killed by security personnel because their failure to free him for several months had tarnished their image. The security agencies also feared that he could have revealed certain information that could have embarrassed them. The encounter was stage-managed,” Mr. Pravin alleged.

The official and his driver were abducted by the ULFA on April 17. On June 30, a decomposed body, believed to be that of Ram, was found at Anandapura village in Assam. The body was brought to the Capital and cremated. However, a few days later Ram called up his family and told them that he was still alive.

Gogoi under fire

Sushanta Talukdar writes from Guwahati:

Earlier, the body was brought to the FCI’s Regional Head Office here, where officials and employees paid tributes.

A caller, identifying himself as Hira Sarania, an ULFA commander, called up local dailies on Thursday night to confirm the official’s death in the crossfire at Borka Panitema in Kamrup district on Wednesday night.

Sarania said the outfit brought the official to a location close to Guwahati with the intention of releasing him in lieu of release of two ULFA leaders. He alleged that the police launched the operationknowing well that Ram was at the house with two or three ULFA cadres as “they wanted to kill him.” Accusing the Tarun Gogoi Government of “murdering” Ram, the Asom Gana Parishad said it would approach the United Nations seeking justice for his family.

AGP president Brindaban Goswami accused both the Centre and the State Government of not showing sincerity in securing the official’s safe release. He demanded the dissolution of the Government.

The State units of the Bharatiya Janata Party and the Nationalist Congress Party also demanded a high-level probe into Ram’s death.The All-Assam Students’ Union said the official’s death brought to the fore the Government’s failure to rescue him in spite of getting so close.

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