Guwahati, July 24: The proscribed armed insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has publicly threatened Assam Director General of Police (DGP), GP Singh, demanding that he should either stop staging bogus encounters against locals or leave the state.
This comes hours after the troops of Indian Army and Assam Police apprehended a woman in Dibrugarh for her alleged suspicious links with the outlawed faction.
In a press statement, self-styled captain Rumel Axom, ULFA-I (Media Department), said, “We have learned that Dibrugarh police nabbed a woman from Tinsukia’s Laipuli along with Rs 3 lakh on Sunday, suspecting her of extorting money in the name of ULFA-I. We want to make it clear that the woman has no ties to ULFA-I, so please stop harassing local residents in the name of ULFA-I.”
Assam DGP, G P Singh, who embarked on a two-day visit of Barak Valley’s three district beginning Monday in Silchar, said, “I have been getting threats from militant organizations not just Assam but from other states too.”
He added, “Since the government of Assam is paying me, I have to protect its interest. If any organization wants to disrupt the development activities of the state by way of extortion and demands, I won’t allow it to happen.”
Talking to media persons, Dibrugarh Superintendent of police Shwetank Mishra said, “We have received a tip off regarding extortion money which were extorted from businessmen. A joint team of police, Army and CRPF conducted an operation near Dibrugarh University area and successfully apprehended a woman ULFA(I) linkman identified and a person, who was a former ULFA(I) cadre.”
“We have seized Rs 3 lakh extortion money from the possession of Pushpanjali Gogoi. We have also seized Rs 164000 from the possession Hema Chetia. We have started our investigation. The cash which were seized were extorted from businessmen,” the SP said.
The SP further said, “We have received a bottle grenade and Rs 10000 from his (Hema Chetia) residence. During, interrogation, Hema Chetia revealed that he was a former ULFA cadre.”
“Hema Chetia is basically a ULFA(I) linkman and collected extortion money from businessmen and transport it to other linkman,” he added.
The SP said their investigation has been going on and more arrests are likely to take place.
Recently, the ULFA (Independent) sent an extortion letter to a tea garden located in Sonari area of Charaideo district seeking Rs 72 lakh for the militant organisation’s fund. Police said that the extortion letter, signed by ULFA (I) leader Nayan Asom, was sent to Manoj Gogoi, the manager of Timon tea estate in Charaideo via WhatsApp.
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