Guwahati: A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) inquiry has been sought by Sipra Deb, a British national of Indian origin, into the abduction of her father by Reang militants in Assam last March.

Deb said that the abduction had sent a wrong signal to NRIs (Non-Residential Indian) willing to invest in Guwahati.

Talking to reporters in Guwahati today (Oct 29, 2004) Deb said that she had met Union Home Minister Shivraj Patil and requested him to institute an independent investigation into the kidnap "regardless of the outcome".

Asked if she was dissatisfied with the probe made by the Assam police into her father's abduction, an emotional Sipra, accompanied by the South Yorkshire police detective chief inspector, Mathew Jukes, and Indo-UK police liason officer, P C Bobby Dev, said, ''Investigation has taken place in the last seven months, how much longer do I have to wait?''

She said that she was looking for reassurance that action would be taken if anything like this were to happen to other NRIs.

She said that she was hopeful of meeting Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi in Delhi tomorrow (Oct 30, 2004) and solve the problem, Sipra said adding her family had written to Gogoi several times, but got no response.

Her father, Protul Deb, 67, a permanent resident of Britain, was abducted from Bhairabi in Hailakandi district of south Assam on March 17 by a little-known Reang ethnic group called United Liberation Front of Barak Valley.

The family had paid a ransom of Rs 10 lakh in two instalments on March 29 and April 1 but Deb, was not set free and nothing had been heard ever since.