Two Suspected KLO Linkmen Arrested

KOKRAJHAR: Two linkmen associated with banned insurgent outfit Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) were arrested by Assam police from Kokrajhar district on Saturday, officials said. The two persons, who were nabbed by the police from the Serfanguri area of the district, have been identified as Bishnu Rai and Tapas Rai. A senior police officer informed that the accused KLO linkmen allegedly attempted to extort money from a local businessman, namely Sunil Mandal.

Mandal lodged a complaint with the police against Bishnu Rai and Tapas Rai and claimed that they were demanding money on behalf of KLO. On the basis of his complaint, the police launched an operation to arrest the duo. A case under relevant sections has been registered against them. Police are investigating to find further linkages of the two arrested persons with the banned militant outfit.

The Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) is a militant organisation based in Northeast India whose objective was to liberate the Kamtapur from India.

The proposed state is to comprise six districts in West Bengal - Cooch Behar, Darjeeling, Jalpaiguri, North and South Dinajpur and Malda - four in Assam - Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Dhubri and Goalpara - Kishanganj in Bihar and Jhapa district in Nepal.

The cadres claim that organisation's aim is to address problems of the Koch Rajbongshi people such as large-scale unemployment, land alienation, perceived neglect of the Kamtapuri language, economic deprivation, etc.

Earlier, just before Independence Day, KLO chief Jeevan Singha issued an appeal to the President and the Prime Minister to meet the outfit's longstanding demand for a state of Kamtapur. (IANS)

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