ULFA (I) Warns Assam DGP to Stop ‘Fake Encounters’ or Leave State

GUWAHATI: The proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) issued a statement on Sunday in which Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh was warned to ‘stop encounter of local people’ by alleging that they were engaged in extortion of money in the name of the outfit.

ULFA (I) also denied that those arrested had any links to the outfit and instead suggested that they may have been used by somebody for their own purpose.

The statement also went on to warn the police not to take any indiscriminate action against local people by branding them as collectors of extortion money in the name of ULFA (I).

Moreover, the outfit named certain government servants who were siphoning off people’s hard-earned money in the government coffers and also certain people who have amassed great wealth by running coal and Burmese ‘supari’ syndicates. The statement asked the police to target such individuals.

The statement comes in the wake of Assam Police arresting two persons from different places of the state for allegedly having links with the organisation. Cash of Rs 4 lakh, said to be extorted money, was also seized from their possession.

Following the arrests of the two individuals, one named Hem Chetia was injured in the leg in firing by the police while he was allegedly trying to escape them. Chetia was arrested from Dibrugarh.

In addition to Chetia, a woman named Pushpanjali Gogoi was nabbed from the Dibrugarh University campus on Friday. Both were arrested for allegedly extorting money in the name of the banned outfit.

Although the police said that the seized money was extorted in the name of ULFA, an investigation is being conducted to ascertain whether the arrested persons are actually linked to the ULFA or not.

It has also been mentioned by the police that there are other operatives also, whose names were disclosed by those arrested and that all of them will be arrested soon.

Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Shwetank Mishra informed that, following reports of extortion demands, joint teams of Assam police, army and the CRPF have been engaged in carrying out operations in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivsagar and Charaideo districts.

On Sunday, DGP Singh took to Twitter, posting a warning to anyone found indulging in any activity in the name of a banned outfit like the ULFA, while referring to the extortion drives and arrests. In his post, Singh also said, “… It may please be informed that collection of money in the name of ULFA [irrespective of genuine or fake] attracts the provision of Sections 17,21,24,26,39 & 40 of the UAP Act since ULFA is a banned terrorist organisation. These provisions are for collection of funds, using proceeds of terrorism etc and may lead to forfeiture of property of the persons involved in collection of funds for ULFA [irrespective of claims of genuine or fake]…”

He also mentioned that security forces have been directed to take firm action against any person found to be involved in making extortion demands and/or collecting such money.

Meanwhile, the banned ULFA (I), in the statement issued to the media, has denied any connection to the two persons arrested for allegedly collecting funds in the name of the organisation.

While denying its association with the arrested persons, ULFA-I leader Rumel Asom, the signatory to the statement, stated that they might have been exploited by others who are engaged in falsely using the name of the organisation for their vested interests.

The outfit further claimed that the Assam DGP has been repeatedly displaying act of bravery through ‘fake encounters’. ULFA (I) also warned DGP Singh to stop such acts against the locals immediately or to leave the state.

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