For three months, the families of two policemen — sub-inspector Kanchan Garai and constable Sabir Mollah, who were allegedly kidnapped by Maoists from near Lalgarh on July 20 — left no stone unturned to secure their release.

After several of their pleas fell on deaf ears, they are now surprised with the ready-to-help response of the state government and Trinamool Congress, following the abduction and subsequent release of Sankrail OC Atindranath Dutta.

The families had reportedly written several letters to Chief Minister Buddhadeb Bhattacharjee, Railway Minister and Trinamool Congress chief Mamata Banerjee, Governor Gopal Krishna Gandhi and Director General of Police Bhupinder Singh. They, however, allege that none of their letters generated any response.

“For the last two months, we knocked on every possible door to know the whereabouts of Sabir. We approached the CM, Governor, DGP and the Railway minister, but to no avail. After Atindranath’s abduction hogged the limelight, Banerjee contacted us and took us to Delhi,” said Dalia Mollah, Sabir’s wife.

The family is, however, grateful for the help they are receiving at present.

“We spoke with Union Home minister P Chidambaram. He assured us of full cooperation. We are thankful to Mamata Banerjee for her initiative to take us to Delhi. But we do not understand why the initiative came after two months,” said Dalia.

Narrating the family’s ordeal in the last three months, she added: “We just have one request. If they have died, please let us know about it. We cannot survive any longer in the dark.”

... contd.