Assamese workers held for suspected ULFA link

Kottayam (Kerala), Nov 30 : Three migrant labourers from Assam have been arrested here for their suspected links with radical outfit ULFA.

According to police, the mobile phone sets siezed from them had pictures of key ULFA leaders and visuals of parades conducted by the ultra outfit in parts of Assam.

The arrested were identified as Hemanth Gogoi (22), Dhaniyam Gogoi (53) and Bidyut Chedia (18), all hailing from Shivsagar district of Assam, police sources said.

They were taken into custody yesterday and their arrest recorded late in the evening.

They would be produced before the first class judicial magistrate today, sources said.

Based on interrogation, police was on the look out for a person who was believed to have given them the memory card containing ULFA visuals and group song, as part of propagation of ULFA ideology among migrant labourers.

Police also searched the worksite at Kanhirapally in the distrct where the arrested had been working for the last several months.

The arrested have been charged under Section 41-A of the CrPC (reasonable suspcion of committing offence), sources said.

Construction sector in Kerala has thousands of migrant labourers from north east, mostly from Assam, Orissa and West Bengal.

Top insurgent leader taken to Guwahati

Imphal: A top insurgent leader of banned People's Liberation Army (PLA), who was lodged in Manipur Central Jail, has been taken to Guwahati to hand him over to National Investigation Agency (NIA), police said on Wednesday.

Self-styled Lt Col Khumanthem Punshi (30) was arrested from Paltan Bazar area in Guwahati by a team of Assam and Manipur police some months ago. He was brought to Manipur for a case involving him, sources said, adding that he was lodged at Manipur central jail as an undertrial.

Sources said as demanded by the NIA, he was taken to Guwahati yesterday adding that he was allegedly involved in many unlawful activities in Manipur.

Manipur blast injures civilian

IMPHAL, NOV 28 : A civilian was injured when a powerful bomb, planted by suspected militants, exploded in Imphal east district of Manipur today, police said.

Sources said the bomb, made of improvised explosive device (IED), was placed at a roadside in Chairen area when it went off at 10.30 a.m. The road is was frequently used by security personnel including those from paramilitary forces to travel between Imphal and their camps at places near Chairen. Police said the explosion occurred seconds after the security convoy (battalion or unit not yet known) passed through the area.

A farmer from a nearby locality who was going to his paddy field was injured by the splinters, sources said, adding that he was taken to a nearby hospital where his condition was stated to be out of danger.

Places like Manipur jail at Sajiwa, some Manipur Rifles battalion and several para-military posts are just a few kilometres away from Chairen area where the explosion occurred, sources said.

The area was immediately cordoned off. It was also not yet known whether the bomb was remote controlled or had a timer attached to it, sources said. Several bomb explosions targeting security and police personnel have been reported in the past few months from different parts of the state.

DHD(J) dissolved, new panel formed

HAFLONG, Nov 27 – In a solemn function the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) was dissolved by its president Jewel Gorlosa in presence of rank and file of DHD (J) on Monday at the Liaison Office located at Sarkari bangan, Haflong, Dima Hasao.

According to the MoS, both the factions of DHD were supposed to be dissolved within six months, but the DHD(J) after a prolonged discussion with the rank and file of DHD (J) decided to dissolved the organisation on Monday.

The meeting was attended by Jewel Gorlosa, vice-president Phaiprang Dimasa, C-in-C Niranjan Hojai, Deputy C-in-C Daniel Dimasa, Home Secretary David Dimasa etc, besides all the cadres.

The DHD (J) was formed in 2004 and on October 2, 2009 surrendered their arms before Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi. On November 8 last a Memorandum of Settlement was signed between both the factions of DHD, Government of India and Government of Assam.

It is learnt that to look after all the cadres a new organisation was formed in the name and style Ex-DHD(J) Welfare Society for a period of one year.

Thus, on 8-year-old armed struggle of DHD(J) has come to an end.

NSCN-IM Dima Hasao 'district area chief' arrested

Silchar: A joint operation by the Haflong-based 25 Assam Rifles and Assam Police resulted in a big blow to NSCN (IM) when its Dima Hasao 'district area commander', self-styled major Cleanson, was apprehended from Lodhi Basti near Haflong on Sunday.

A list of NSCN (IM) cadres, a 9-mm pistol, eight rounds of ammunition, a Chinese grenade and a sketch of the spot at Hindu Inpui village of the hill district where army personnel were ambushed last week were recovered from the militant.

An army official said the rebel was involved in the attack on the army personnel of 9 Madras Regiment at Inpui village near Mahur on November 21, in which one jawan was killed and six others injured. He was also involved in an attack on a group of policemen near a children's park at Lungkhuk village near Haflong on November 24, killing a constable on the spot. Cleanson is the mastermind in many cases of kidnapping, extortion etc in the central Assam district, the sources said.

As per inputs, the banned Naga militant outfit has been trying to directly control subversive activities in Dima Hasao and Jenam Valley after the signing of the Dimasa Accord in Delhi on October 8.

Reports also suggest that the NSCN (IM) is using proxies like the Indigenous Peoples Forum (IPF) and the Dima Jadi Naiso Army (DJNA) and the Dimasa National Revolutionary Front (DNRF) to expand its extortion, illegal tax collection activities and to retain influence in the area, the army official added.

He said during the last few months, the operations at Nrianam, Mailubra, Mongjang, Baladhan and Haflong in Dima Hasao district, conducted by the Maibong-based army unit and the Haflong garrison Assam Rifles unit, have degraded the NSCN (IM) set-up in Dima Hasao by eliminating the outfit's top self-styled officer cadres and apprehending many others. The pressure to act and retrieve its image was evident when its cadres had to return the extortion money to villagers in Mahur area.

The arrest is a result of a massive hunt for the perpetrators of the recent IED blast near Mahur targeting army troops and killing of an Assam police constable in Haflong.

Naga rebels gun down policeman

The security agencies in Assam are worried about the growing activities of National Social Council of Nagaland (Issac-Muivah) rebels in Dima Hasao district where heavily armed Naga rebels in an ambush on Saturday gunned down a policeman.

Pointing out that it has come close on the heels of Thursday’s offensive in which NSCN (I-M) rebels had killed an Army soldier and wounded six others in an ambush on an Army convoy, security sources said that tension was mounting in the area as Army has not only forced NSCN(I-M) to stop tax collection but also compelled them to return the money collected as tax from villagers in Assam.

The police said that heavily armed insurgents, who were hiding, fired upon the police patrolling team, which was on motorcycles near Lunkhuk village, under Haflong police station, at around 8.30 am on Saturday killing Luhit Nath on the spot.

The militants were armed with sophisticated weapons, the security sources said, adding that a search operation has been launched in the area to nab the attackers who fled after the ambush.

Security forces are yet to ascertain the identity of assailants but suspected involvement of Naga rebels who are targeting army for driving them out of Dima Hasao district.

Asserting that NSCN(I-M) was collecting taxes in frontier area of Dima Hasao district adjoining Nagaland and Manipur, security sources said that NSCN(I-M) rebels are also found to have been involved in propping up a forum of non-Dimasa indigenous people in the frontier district.

Clarifying that cease-fire with NSCN(I-M) was not applicable in Assam, security sources said that NSCN(I-M) have been told to refrain from indulging in their tax collection and other activities inside Assam.

Security sources also claimed that NSCN(I-M) leaders have also been to restrict the movement of armed NSCN(I-M) rebels outside the state. The activity of NSCN(I-M) was also the area of concern for the frontier state of Arunachal Pradesh where all the three factions of NSCN has been threatening the peace of trouble-torn Tirap and Changlang districts.

Op ‘illegal arms’ gets more teeth in Assam

The ongoing operation against the illegal weapons in the four districts of Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD) will be intensified further after the Assam Governor had issued orders to go for house-to-house search operation to seize illegal weapons.

Governor JB Patnaik had issued the orders after reviewing the law and order situation in the BTAD areas with the State Chief Secretary and Director General of Assam Police and its impact on the developmental activities.

The police and security forces had intensified operations and engaged two companies of additional forces, which have arrived in the State recently, in the operation against illegal weapons.

“The operation against the illegal weapons will be intensified further from now on after the Assam Governor had given orders in this regard. We have already started the operation in Kokrajhar and other districts of the BTAD and recovered several illegal weapons,” said Assam’s Home Secretary GD Tripathy while talking to The Pioneer on Friday.

The security forces had been carrying out the operations based on specific information but the recent orders from the Governor will enable the security forces to go for house searches, whenever it is required.

A total of 10 people have been killed in Kokrajhar and another one in neighbouring Baksa district in fresh violence that started since November 10, forcing the district administration to enforce indefinite curfew in Kokrajhar.

“The situation is improving and the indefinite curfew had been removed for the last few days except for the night hours. Night curfew has been still in force - from 9 pm to 6 am,” said a senior official deployed in the district and said that no fresh incidents have been reported for the last few days.

Kokrajhar, Chirang and Dhubri districts of Assam had witnessed the worst-ever communal riots between the Bodos and Bengali-speaking Muslim settlers during July-August this year killing over 100 persons and displacing over four lakh people.

Four soldiers injured in militant attack in Assam

Guwahati: At least four soldiers were injured after suspected NSCN (IM) militants ambushed an army convoy near the Assam-Manipur border Wednesday, police said.

At least four soldiers received bullet injuries during the incident in Dima Hasao district in Assam, said Superintendent of Police Mugdha Jyoti Mahanta.

The militants first triggered an IED blast and then fired indiscriminately, he said.

The incident took place at near Mahur near the Assam-Manipur border.

"We suspect the hands of NSCN-IM militants behind the incident," said Mahanta.

Mahanta said the attack took place when the army convoy was passing through the area for patrolling.

Haflong, the headquarters of Dima Hasao, is over 300 km from here.

DHD-J leaders get bail relief

Guwahati, Nov 21 : Gauhati High Court today extended the interim bail period of DHD (J) chairman Joel Gorlosa and commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai by another three months.

A division bench of Chief Justice Adarsh Kumar Goel and Justice N. Kotiswar Singh passed the order after the Assam government raised a no-objection to the extension of interim bail period of the duo, provided they ensure full disclosure and surrender of arms and disbanding of the outfit as stipulated in the memorandum of settlement (MoS).

The DHD (J) had signed the MoS with the government in Delhi on October 8 this year.

Advocate Bijon Kumar Mahajan moved the bail petitions on behalf of the two leaders after their bail period expired today. Additional public prosecutor K. Munir represented the state government in the court.

Though Mahajan had appealed for converting their interim bail into absolute bail, the court rejected the plea.

The duo were first granted interim bail in two cases — registered against them by the National Investigation Agency — for six months in August, 2011, which was subsequently extended several times to facilitate the peace talks between the government and the outfit.

Fake currency charge

Shillong, Nov 20 : The breakaway faction of the ANVC, the ANVC (B), today claimed that fake Indian currency to the tune of crores of rupees had entered the Garo hills region in the last few weeks.

“Garo hills is being exploited politically and economically, and strategies adopted are foolproof. Fake currency amounting not less than crores of rupees made way into the region in the last few weeks. It is sure to affect the economy,” ANVC (B) chairman Rimpu N. Marak said.

The main area of concern is the coal mining belt as payments made every week to the suppliers include thousands of fake currency notes, he said. “Simple and ignorant people fail to differentiate between the real and the fake,” Marak said.

Elections are around the corner. People should be aware of fake notes, which are making way into the region, he added.

“Do not encourage distribution of money in the elections. Coal traders must transact through banks, as it is the only way to detect fake notes. If this is not checked, we are sure to find Garo hills rolling back in time,” Marak said.

Won’t allow militancy in northeast: NSAB chief

Shillong, Nov 20 : In the wake of spurt of violence in Assam and Manipur, National Security Advisory Board (NSAB) chairman Naresh Chandra Monday said that the government would not allow a “few group of people” to disturb peace and tranquility in the northeast states.

“Public order will be maintained at all cost and the government cannot allow a few group of people to disturb peace and tranquility. Respective governments must take necessary steps against such people,” Chandra told journalists after reviewing the security situation in the northeast with respective government officials from the region.

He added: “A group of militants cannot take the public and community for granted and disturb peace and tranquility.”

Chandra said efficient border management remains a crucial factor for the country in its effort to improve the overall security scenario in the region.

“Borders need to be managed to control infiltration of militants, illegal migrants and arms into the country. Though our borders with Myanmar and Bangladesh cannot be physically sealed totally, they can be managed intelligently,” Chandra said.

India’s landlocked northeast shares a 4,500 km international border with Bangladesh, Bhutan, Myanmar and China but connects with the rest of India by a 22 km strip of land called the Siliguri Corridor.

Work is on to fence this entire stretch, but unfenced areas remain vulnerable to infiltration.

Members and officials were of the view that connectivity in terms of road, railways and airways would help mitigate the militancy problem to some extent, he said.

“More focus on education to make people employable, emphasis on infrastructure development and improving the quality of developmental programmes in the region would help in addressing the insurgency problem,” Chandra said.

The board chairman said that with Myanmar and Bangladesh were now being viewed as “friendly” regimes. Chandra, however, cautioned that no move should be undertaken, which potentially undermines the overall security of the country and region in particular.

On China’s claim over Arunachal Pradesh, Chandra said the issues that were raised were more of concerns relating to water sharing.

“We are not so sure about China and so all such developmental matters of water sharing and others have to be taken up diplomatically,” Chandra said.

Chandra also called on Chief Minister Mukul Sangma and discussed the security situation in Meghalaya.

ULFA militant killed in encounter

RANGIYA (Assam): A suspected ULFA militant was killed in an encounter with security forces this morning in Assam's Kamrup (Rural) district, police said.

Acting on specific information about the presence of a group of ULFA militants who have come down from neighbouring Meghalaya, the police launched an operation in Parabari village under Boko police station area.

An encounter followed as the militants opened fire, Kamrup (Rural) Superintendent of Police Parthasarathi Mahanta said.

A militant was killed in the encounter while the others managed to escape, he said.

A pistol, three rounds of ammunition and two empty cartridge shells, two bags with dress materials and some documents have been recovered from the slain militant who was yet to be identified.

Bangladesh asked to demolish northeast militants' camps

Agartala: The Border Security Force (BSF) has asked Border Guard Bangladesh (BGB) to demolish 55 camps that militants from India's northeastern region have set up in the neighbouring country, an official said here Wednesday.

"BSF officials have asked BGB to destroy all camps of northeast militants in Bangladesh. We have given a list of 55 camps set up by various militant outfits of northeastern region," a BSF spokesman told reporters.

He said the issue was discussed last week at a four-day border coordination meeting between BSF inspector general and BGB deputy director general in Sylhet in Bangladesh.

The inspectors general of Meghalaya, Assam, Tripura, Mizoram and Cachar frontiers, BSF officials from New Delhi and officials of the National Crime Records Bureau and the union home ministry also attended the meeting.

"BSF demanded strong action against Indian militants hiding in Bangladesh. The BGB officials were also requested to share information it gathered from people arrested for involvement in cross-border crimes and militancy," the official said.

BSF also demanded early resolution of disputes on erection of fencing on the India-Bangladesh border.

Smuggling of fake Indian currency notes, drugs such as phensedyl and narcotics were also discussed.

The BSF officials expressed concern over increasing incidents of attacks on BSF and unarmed Indians by the Bangladeshis on the border.

Tripura, Meghalaya, Mizoram and Assam share a 1,880-km border with Bangladesh, some of it unfenced and running through dense forests.

Huge cache of arms seized, 7 held

Police recovered a huge cache of arms reportedly belonging to Meghalaya-based outfit Garo National Liberation Army (GNLA) and arrested seven persons, police said today.

The seizure was made during a joint operation by Assam and Meghalaya police late last night, Inspector General of Police (Assam) L R Bishnoi said.

Five persons were arrested during the operation, he said, adding the van was intercepted by the police team at Khetri near here on the National Highway 37.

Later in the night, two more persons were arrested by the Nagaland police in Dimapur.

Among the arms recovered were two AK-47 rifles with eight magazines, five .22 pistols with 150 rounds of bullet, a 9 mm pistol with eight magazines, a Chinese hand grenade and a wireless set, among others.

"The arms were enroute from Dimapur in Nagaland to Garo Hills area of Meghalaya," Bishnoi said.

He said various militant groups were trying to make use of Guwahati as a transit point for arms shipment.

Bishnoi said police forces of Assam and Meghalaya were working jointly to thwart the militant groups. There is coordination with Nagaland police too.

"Since March this year, this is our fifth successful operation jointly conducted with Meghalaya police. We have arrested 20 GNLA cadres and recovered seven vehicles and huge amount of arms and ammunition," he said.

Tea garden owner shot dead by NDFB militants in Assam's Sonitpur district

Tezpur (Assam): Suspected NDFB militants today shot dead a tea garden owner and injured his security guard in Assam's Sonitpur district, police said.

The militants fired about 15 rounds on the vehicle of Mahalaxmi Tea Estate proprietor Adilur Rahman at Nagda on the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border as he was driving with his security guard towards Baihata Chariali.

Rahman was killed and guard Motilal Tirke, belonging to the Assam Tea Protection Force, was seriously injured, they said.

Tirke was referred to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital where his condition was stated to be stable.

Following the incident, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said operations against the anti-talk faction of the NDFB would be intensified.

"I have directed the security forces to take strong measures against the anti-talk faction of the NDFB so that we can crush the group," he told reporters in Guwahati.

He said an inquiry would be carried out into the killing of Rahman who had been warned by the police to be careful in his movements.

"The DGP of state police has informed me that Rahman had been told to be careful about his movements as he was considered to be a target of the militants," he said.

Talking to television channels here, while on his way to the hospital, Tirke said around 12 armed men fired at their car from both sides of the road.

He sustained severe injuries in his hands.

Imphal-airport road blast injures five

Police personnel inspect the bomb blast site at Gari Makha Leikai near Airport Road in Imphal on Wednesday.

Imphal, Nov 8 : Two army personnel and three civilians, including a student, were injured when a powerful improvised explosive device was detonated on a busy stretch of the Imphal Airport Road this morning.

No rebel group, however, has claimed responsibility for the blast, which is the fourth in the area in the past two months.

Police said the IED, planted on the median of the road, 5km from here, exploded as a four-vehicle convoy of the airport army unit was coming towards Imphal to fetch water. Two of the vehicles were water tankers. The blast also impacted a schoolbus that was passing by at the time.

The driver of one of the tankers and a jawan sitting beside him sustained injuries, while the tanker’s front was damaged and it had to be towed back to the post.

One civilian van driver, M. Raghubir Singh, and a woman, K. Shanty Devi, travelling with him sustained splinter injuries. The van was headed towards the airport.

A Class XII student of Comet Higher Secondary School, Pukhrambam Rohen, who was travelling in the schoolbus, also sustained minor injuries.

The police said the bomb was remote-detonated, adding that traffic was heavy along the road at the time.

Frequent bomb explosions in the area have created panic among residents.

“I heard a loud sound. I thought a vehicle tyre had burst. I came to know that there had been a bomb blast only when an elderly woman came to my house saying there had been an explosion and she had been injured in the leg,” Wahengbam Iboton, a resident of the area, said.

The bomb exploded in front of Iboton’s house. “My children had just left for school when the blast took place. Frequent bomb explosions in our area have created a fear psychosis among the residents. We are worried that our children might get hurt in a blast. Such things must stop,” he said.

Though army and police personnel combed the area after the blast, no other explosives were recovered and no one was arrested.

Around 30 minutes after this blast, another IED exploded at Khongjom along Imphal-Moreh road in Thoubal district. No one, however, was injured in thaat incident.

A police source said an Assam Rifles patrol party recovered yet another IED at Th-oubal Wangbal in Thoubal district and safely detonated it later.

Abducted village chief rescued in Manipur

Imphal: A village chief, who was abducted from his village in Senapati district, has been rescued from a place in Churachandpur district, police said today.

Ngumkhulum Tuboi (77), the village chief had left his village Chasang under Saikul sub-division in Senapati district on October 3 to attend a meeting nearby but was abducted by suspected Kuki militants.

After a complaint was lodged with Saikul police station, police supported by Assam Rifles personnel of 16th battalion searched Peace Ground area near Churachandpur district headquarters and found Tuboi yesterday morning, they said.

No individual or group has claimed responsibility for the abduction.

India asks Myanmar to act against NE ultras

NEW DELHI, Nov 6 – India has again pressed for crackdown on insurgent groups of North-East including Paresh Barua-led faction of ULFA operating out of Myanmar.

The issue of the rebels continuing to operate out of the neighbouring country figured at the Twelfth India-Myanmar Foreign Office Consultations held here today. The Indian delegation was led by Foreign Secretary Ranjan Mathai and the Myanmar delegation was led by Deputy Foreign Minister U Thant Kyaw, official sources said.

Under pressure of the North Eastern States mainly Assam and Manipur, New Delhi has been urging Myanmar to flush out the militants. Major insurgents groups of Manipur, Naga rebels and anti-talk faction of ULFA have been operating out of bases in Myanmar for long, taking advantage of the porous border, rough terrain and an indifferent Myanmari regime.

Sources said the two sides reviewed and positively assessed the implementation of the decisions taken during the visits of the President of Myanmar to India in October 2011 and that of the Prime Minister of India to Myanmar in May.

It was noted that significant progress has been achieved in taking forward the initiatives related to enhancing connectivity among others.

Manipur rebel chief held in Delhi: Police

The Delhi Police Friday claimed to have arrested the suspected leader of Kangleipak Communist Party (MC), a militant outfit based out of Manipur.
Ningthoujam Romen Singh, 27, was arrested from Sarai Kale Khan bus station Thursday, Special Commissioner of Police S N Srivastava said. “He is the commander-in-chief and financial secretary of KCP (MC), a faction of the banned terrorist organisation Kangleipak Communist Party,” Srivastava added.
Singh is an accused in 17 criminal cases, including one for holding to Rs 2 crore ransom government officials Budhi Chandra and Ningthembi. The officials, who were involved with the construction of Takmu water sports facility at Moirang, were rescued by the Manipur Police soon after Singh’s arrest, Srivastava said.
On Friday, Singh was produced in the a Delhi court, which sent him in three-day transit remand of the Manipur Police.
This is not the first time Singh, who joined KCP in 2007, has landed behind bars. He was arrested in 2008 for his alleged involvement in terrorism but was bailed out, and some time later, he shifted base to Agra.
In 2011, the police said, he moved to Kakarbita, Nepal, where he continued to direct kidnappings and extortion in India. Later that year, he went to Goa and in June this year, relocated back to Agra.
In October, Singh allegedly had a supervisor with the Integrated Child Development Services abducted from Bishnupur, Manipur. He later ransomed her for Rs 10 lakh.