Guwahati: The National Investigation Agency (NIA), along with the Assam Police, on Monday arrested a key operative of the proscribed United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) for allegedly planting four improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Guwahati during this year’s Independence Day celebrations.
According to NIA, the federal probe agency carried out searches, with help of Assam Police, at the house of Jahnu Baruah alias Arnab Asom in Dibrugarh based on specific intelligence.
The state police had recovered 11 IEDs from several locations across the state on August 15 after ULFA-I issued a statement mentioning the places where these explosives were planted. Four of the IEDs were placed at Pan Bazar, Dispur, Gandhi Mandap and Satgaon areas of Guwahati.
The NIA said that several incriminating materials, including digital devices, were seized during a search of his house and are currently under investigation. He was summoned to the local police establishment for further examination.
Baruah is stated to have confessed to his involvement in planting four of the 11 IEDs in Guwahati that were recovered by state police during the I-day celebrations.
According to the NIA, Baruah was under surveillance for several weeks as he was one of the key suspects in the IED planting case based on technical and human intelligence.
He is accused of collecting, transporting and planting the devices.
NIA took over the case on September 17 and found that the IEDs were planted at the behest of senior ULFA-I cadre Abhijit Gogoi alias Aishang Asom. Further probe into the case is underway.
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The Independence Day celebrations in the state this year were marred by security concerns after ULFA-I sent emails to a few media houses in the state claiming to have planted bombs at 24 places. The mail contained details of places where 19 explosive devices were planted while the exact locations of five others were not mentioned.
