Don’t force us to re-impose AFSPA: Assam DGP tells ULFA-I

GUWAHATI: Assam director general of police (DGP) GP Singh has asked the Pareh Baruah-led ULFA-I to not force the Indian authorities re-impose the draconian armed forces special powers act (AFSPA) in parts of the state.

Assam DGP GP Singh asked the ULFA-I not to encourage law enforcement agencies in India to re-impose AFSPA in parts of the state, from where it has already been lifted, by engineering a series of explosions.

“Assam is no longer the state that it used to be at a certain point of time. It is now on the path of development,” asserted Assam DGP GP Singh while speaking to the media in Guwahati on Wednesday (November 29).

The Assam DGP made this statement during an arms laying ceremony, where four of hard-core cadres of the ULFA-I surrendered before the Assam police in Guwahati, thus shunning violence and joining mainstream.

The cadres Dipok Hatibaruah alias Dibya Axom, Nayann Patmaut alias Bikram Axom, Montu Moran alias Latest Axom alias Kulang Moran, and Palash Moran alias Gopal Axom laid down their arms in the presence of Assam DGP GP Singh.

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The surrender ceremony took place at the Assam police headquarters in Guwahati, in the presence of state DGP GP Singh and other senior police officials.

Earlier, there were reports that the ULFA-I is planning to carry out bomb blasts near army camps in the Northeast state of Assam.

According to an Assam police official, ULFA-I had sent two of its hard-core and well trained cadres to the state to carryout bomb blasts.

The targets of the ULFA-I are areas near army camps in eastern Assam districts.

However, one of the two cadres surrendered, and in the initial investigation, he divulged ULFA-I’s plan to the police, SP of Tinsukia district in Assam – Gaurav Abhijit Dilip – had told IANS.

“The 30-year-old cadre identified as Achyutanand Neog alias Niloy Asom was sent by the outlawed group to trigger a blast at Bordirak village under Margherita subdivision of Tinsukia district,” the SP of Tinsukia district in Assam stated.

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He added that Neog was instructed to throw a grenade at an area near an army camp along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-state border.

“The cadre revealed during the interrogation that he was told to carry out bomb blasts near the army camps or in crowded places, and if he fails to do that, he will face severe punishment, most likely in the form of execution,” the Assam police officer said.

Meanwhile, the Assam police has launched a manhunt to nab the other ULFA-I cadre, who was carrying explosives to carry out a bomb blast near some Army camps.

“Neog has briefed us about the movement of the second cadre in the area. We are hopeful that he will be arrested soon,” Dilip said.