Alleging ‘fake encounters’ ULFA-I threatens DGP GP Singh

Guwahati: Banned militant outfit, United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent, on Sunday issued a “warning” to Assam Director General of Police, GP Singh, over the recent police actions in the state.

The threat to the police chief has been issued through a press statement issued by ULFA-I leader Rumel Asom to the media through mail on Sunday.
This came in response to an incident of police firing in which an alleged extortionist was injured in Upper Assam.

ULFA-I alleged several incidents where individuals were depositing fake money in the name of their organization.
The group also denied any connection with a woman named Gogoi from Tinsukia, who was arrested by the Dibrugarh police for collecting funds in the name of the organization.
In the statement, ULFA opposed the “persecution of innocent people by linking them with their organization” and urged the police to stop such acts.

They claimed that Hem Chetia from Sivasagar district, who was arrested and shot in the leg by the police, was not authorized to collect funds on behalf of the organization.

The organization said he may have been exploited by others who falsely used his name for their nefarious purposes.
The statement further cited DGP GP Singh, accusing him of staging fake “encounters” and repeatedly showing bravery.

The ULFA-I issued a final warning in the statement demanding an immediate end to such incidents.

The police have not yet issued an official statement on the matter.
It may be noted that Hema Chetia was arrested on Saturday.

According to the police, Rs 164,000 was seized from Hema Chetia.

Speaking to mediapersons, Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Shwetank Mishra said, “We have arrested Hema Chetia from Khowang. We have seized Rs 27,000 from Hema Chetia and later recovered Rs 1 lakh from his possession.
During interrogation, Hema Chetia revealed that a large amount of extortion money was kept in her house. A joint team went to his house in Tinthengia gaon to seize the extortion money and he tried to attack the policemen with a grenade, he added.
Mishra said that to disarm him, the police team fired at him in the leg, injuring him.

Mishra said he was admitted to AMCH and is out of danger.
“We have recovered a bottle grenade and Rs 10,000 from his residence,” the SP said. During interrogation, Hema Chetia revealed that he was a former ULFA-I freedom fighter.

“Hema Chetia is basically a link man of Ulfa(I) and collects extortion from businessmen and passes it on to other link men,” he said.