GUWAHATI: In a scathing rebuke against Assam Police, the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has accused law enforcement of indiscriminately detaining “innocent youth” across the state.
In a public letter issued on Thursday, ULFA-I condemned the Assam Police for what it termed the “random picking up” of individuals from various regions, including the capital city, Guwahati.
The outfit asserted that the detained youth had no association with ULFA-I or any involvement in the recent operations carried out by the organisation.
“The Assam Police is trying to cover up its mistakes by arresting innocent youths. Such actions are wrong and should be condemned,” stated ULFA-I in their public letter.
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The accusation follows a string of arrests made by Assam Police in connection to ULFA-I activities.
On December 19, three individuals—Asim Adhikari, Moon Debnath, and Rupjyoti Das—were apprehended in Guwahati’s Maligaon area during a planned operation.
The trio was found in possession of a pistol and ammunition, and Adhikari, suspected to be closely associated with ULFA-I, had been residing in Guwahati under the guise of a computer operator.
These arrests had come on the heels of another operation on December 17, where four individuals were detained, suspected to be linked to the recent Sivasagar grenade blast.
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Assam has experienced a spate of three grenade attacks in just 22 days, from November 22 to December 14, creating a sense of worry and tension in the state.
The latest grenade explosion occurred near the Lichubari Military Camp in Jorhat district on December 14 when two assailants on motorcycles targeted the Army camp.
Prior to this, ULFA-I had executed grenade attacks in Tinsukia and Sivasagar districts on November 22 and December 9, respectively.
In a press release on December 10, the banned outfit had claimed responsibility for the grenade blasts and accused Assam’s Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh of “arrogance,” citing the attacks as a direct response to his behaviour.
