Source: Twitter
Guwahati, July 24: The United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) on Sunday issued a statement wherein it has warned Assam Director General of Police GP Singh to ‘stop encounter of local people’ alleging them to be extorting money in the name of the proscribed outfit.
This comes after the Assam Police arrested two persons from different locations of the State having alleged link with the organisation. Extorted money worth Rs 4 lakh was seized from their possession.
One Hem Chetia was arrested from Dibrugarh and was injured in police firing while he was trying to escape. Moreover, a woman named Pushpanjali Gogoi was apprehended from Dibrugarh University campus on Friday. Both were alleged to be extorting money in the name of the banned outfit.
According to the police, the seized money was extorted in the name of ULFA. However, whether or not the arrested persons are actually linked to the ULFA is being investigated. There are other operatives also as disclosed by those arrested, police said, and added that all will be arrested soon. Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Shwetank Mishra said joint teams of police, army and CRPF had been carrying out operations in Dibrugarh, Tinsukia, Sivsagar and Charaideo districts following reports of extortion demands.
Referring to the extortion drives and arrests, DGP Singh warned against any activity in the name of a banned outfit like the ULFA. He further directed security forces to take firm action against any person involved in making extortion demands and/or collection of such money.
Meanwhile, taking cognisance of the matter the banned outfit ULFA (I) has denied any association with the two persons arrested for allegedly collecting funds in the name of the organisation.
In a press statement issued to media, the outfit claimed that several instances came to the fore where people were targeted for extorting money in the name of the outfit. While denying its association with the arrested persons ULFA-I leader, Rumel Asom mentioned that they might have been exploited by others who falsely use the name of the organisation for vested interests.
The organisation also claimed that Assam DGP is repeatedly displaying act of bravery in the name of ‘fake encounters’. They further demanded to stop such incidents against the locals immediately or leave the state.