NAGAON, Feb 6: Though the police could not make any breakthrough into the abduction and subsequent killing of three youths -- Jayanta Saikia, Pradip Saha and Bonwarilal Dhote -- whose bodies were recovered at Betoni near Burapahar here yesterday, journalists could unearth some facts in connection with the case. According to reports, one of the killed youths, Jayanta Saikia, the son of AGP's Difaloo Anchalik Parishad president Pohar Saikia had been an ULFA cadre who surrendered five years back and managed to set the job as a schoolteacher. But even after his surrender Jayanta had been maintaining a close link with the ULFA and was engaged in a fund-raising drive by the outfit along with Pradip and Bonwarilal. The trio had collected a huge amount of money and kept it at his rented house at Laokhowa Road. On being informed about the cash the trio had amassed, the killers abducted the three on February 3 and killed them later. [S]

SULFA cadre held for extortion

NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Feb 14: A joint patrol party of troops of the Second Mountain Division from North Lakhimpur and Dhemaji police station apprehended a SULFA activist -- Jayanta Gogoi -- from a shop at Lekabali while he was trying to extort money from the shopkeeper last night. [S]

SULFA activists held on kidnapping charges

GUWAHATI, Feb 16: In a swift operation, Chandmari Police today arrested three surrendered ULFA activists Ranjit Malakar, Dhanjit Baishya and Kandarpa Pathak on charges of kidnapping of two businessmen of the city. [AT]

SULFA warning to ULFA

GUWAHATI, Feb 18: Top SULFA leaders, Jugal Kishore Mahanta, Kalpajyoti Neog, Sunil Nath, Gautam Das and Sailen Dutta Konwar today issued a grim warning to the ULFA to desist from making false allegations against them in their mouthpiece Swadhinata as they stoutly refuted the allegation published in the mouthpiece that they were responsible for the killing of the family members of Mithinga Daimary, the outfit's publicity secretary. In a statement, they said, if the ULFA thought that by levelling false, baseless allegations against them the outfit could intimidate then into silence, it was living in a fool's paradise. [S]

Dhekial, another SULFA in stolen car racket

GUWAHATI, Feb 24: A prominent SULFA activist and prime accused in the Parag Das murder case, Dhekial Phukan and his accomplice, one Kajal Khan, also a SULFA activist from Upper Assam, are doing roaring business in stolen vehicles in the State and are operating from Kakarvitha of Nepal. The City Police stumbled upon this important bit of evidence following a lead into several cases of stolen vehicles which finally resulted in recovery of five such vehicles from the city. [S]

Extortion bid from city PCOs

GUWAHATI, Feb 24: City Police today nabbed a notorious SULFA leader, Manoj Hazarika, for planning to collect regular "taxes" from the PCOs in the city, besides detaining some of his accomplices. [S]

SULFA man nabbed

NAGAON, March 23: Police last night arrested one SULFA leader Putul Das from his town residence on the bomb blast case inside Itachali police out post in Nagaon town on Monday night and registered a case 169/170/2000 u/s 307/427 IPC and produced him in court. [AT]

Police intentifies operations

NAGAON, March 25: Nagaon police has intensified its operations against the ULFA and SULFA activists in the district since the last five days. It may be mentioned that the police had arrested Putul Das, a top SULFA leader of the district on March 22 in connection with the bomb blast at Itachali police station. Another accused Upen Barman, who was the architect behind the blast, had also surrendered before the Army on March 24. [S]

Nalbari AASU warns SULFA

NALBARI, March 30: The Nalbari Anchalik unit of AASU has warned the surrendered ULFA men who are allegedly involved in the anti-social activities in Nalbari district to desist from such activities. [AT]

SULFA man held

GUWAHATI, April 12: Panbazar police last night arrested a surrendered ULFA man, Jiten Gogoi, on charges of extortion from a computer firm at Panbazar area. Police sources informed that the accused demanded Rs 10,000 monthly in addition to Rs 800 per internet connection provided by the firm. [AT]

Control SULFA, Centre directs Assam Govt

NEW DELHI, April 19: In a significant development, the Central government has directed the Assam government to strictly deal with any violations of law by the surrendered ULFA (SULFA) members. [AT]

Police arrest SULFA man who had surrenderes at Ranghar

DIBRUGARH, April 27: The arrest of a recently-surrendered ULFA youth here yesterday by Dibrugarh police on charges of extortion has unfolded another dimension which indicates that the criminal and history sheeters by way of surrender process receive licence to rehabilitate themselves through intimidation and extortion and thus reducing the sincere efforts of the Government to rehabilitate the militants into a mockery. [S]

SULFA men cause fear psychosis in Rangiya

RANGIYA, May 4: Extortion and kidnapping have been going on unabated in and around Rangiya. A group of extremists served extortion notices to some businessmen of Rangiya.
Meanwhile, some of the businessmen have left Rangiya by selling their properties out of fear. Life and property have become completely insecure at Rangiya. The SULFA men have caused fear psychosis in the entire Rangiya subdivision at behest of the police. They have collected forcibly huge amount of money from the rich people, contractors and businessmen of Rangiya. [AT]

SULFA youth asked to repay loans

DIBRUGARH, May 5: The general manager of the District Industries Centre (DIC) and the local bank officer have issued a joint appeal to all surrendered militants to make timely repayment of loans which they have availed on easy terms from various banks. The abysmal loan repayment has become a cause of serious concern in banking circles here. Apart from rehabilitated misguided youth, even those who have availed of loans under Prime Minister's Rojgar Yojana have faltered in repaying loans. [AT]

Prime suspect of Paswans' killing nabbed

DIBRUGARH, May 11: Nayan Das alias Guli, a former ULFA militant who had surrendered in 1994, and the prime suspect in the killing of Sewdhari Paswan and his son Dhiraj, was apprehended by the Dibrugarh police today. Some other surrendered ULFA activists were also picked up for interrogation in connection with the killing. [S]

SULFA man arrested

GUWAHATI, May 14: Police yesterday arrested a SULFA member Krishna Hazarika for threatening a person in the Beltola Tiniali area during the last couple of days. [AT]

Centre's directive to State police to keep tab on SULFA

GUWAHATI, May 18: The Centre, worried that the State police has failed to contain the various illegal activities of the SULFA in Assam, has asked the Director General of Police to prepare dossiers on each of them and furnish information regarding their security requirements, how many policemen have ben deployed for their security, the type and number of weapons held by each one of them, their sources of earnings, etc. [S]

'Assam cops & SULFA raid Naga village, abduct seven headmen'

KOHIMA, May 19: A posse of Assam police personnel and armed surrendered Ulfa men intruded inside Lokon village, some 35 KMs from Mon town and about half a kilometre from the boundary with Assam, on Wednesday, and allegedly assaulted 35 villagers. They also abducted seven gaonburahs (village headmen) who were later released. [NED]

SULFA activist gets lifer

MORIGAON, June 8: The District and Sessions Judge, Morigaon today convicted a SULFA activist -- Hiranya Nath -- to undergo rigorous imprisonment (RI) for life and to pay a fine of Rs 1,000, in default further RI of three months under Section 302, IPC, and sentenced him to undergo further RI of seven years and to pay a fine of Rs 1,000 in default further RI of three years under Section 27, Arms Act. Both the punishments will run concurrently. The case in brief is that the SULFA activist shot dead a school teacher -- Atul Deka -- at Mikirbheta village on April 17, 1996. This in the first life imprisonment judgement against a SULFA activist in Morigaon district. [S]

Life term for SULFA member

MORIGAON, June 21: The Morigaon District and Sessions Judge Sri BN Deb awarded life imprisonment recently to a SULFA member Sri Hironya Nath of Morigaon under Section 302/34 of the IPC and Arms Act No 27. [AT]

Former ULFA rebel gunned down

JORHAT, June 25: The bullet-riddled body of surrendered Ulfa leader Tarun Phukan, alias Amrit, was recovered from a paddy field near Amguri town in upper Assam's Sivasagar district this morning. Two empty AK-47 cartridges and Amrit's motorcycle were found at the site. Police suspect the Ulfa of having killed Amrit, who was a "second lieutenant" in the banned outfit before surrendering with 531 other militants at the Rang Ghar in Sivasagar on April 4. [TT]

Youth Cong leader picked up, interrogated

GUWAHATI, June 25: Panbazar police this evening picked up Nava Talukdar, a surrendered ULFA man who was nominated to the post of vice president of the State committee of Assam Pradesh Youth Congress Committee for vandalism in a meeting of the organisation and manhandling several activists at District Library auditorium in April 10, this year. He was later released on bail after several hours of interrogation. [AT]

SULFA activists held for extortion

JORHAT, June 29: Police arrested three youths including two SULFA activists when they were demanding Rs 50,000 in the name of the ULFA at Lahdaigarh this afternoon. While the two SULFA activists are Mintu Bora and Mridul Bora, the other youth is Hemanta Bora. [S]

ULFA-SULFA contact suspected behind killing

SHILLONG, July 15 (UNI): Police have suspected inter-gang rivalry behind the killing of Nazim Laskar, a notorious criminal, here. Nazim Laskar, who used to extort money claiming to be a member of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), had been involved in many anti-social activities. Several cases, including those under TADA, were registered against him in Meghalaya and Assam, police said. On July 13, armed miscreants shot at Laskar at his residence at Forest Colony here. He was rushed to the civil hospital where he succumbed to his injuries yesterday. According to the Meghalaya Director General of Police, inter-gang rivalry and ULFA-SULFA contact might be one of "many" reasons behind the killing. [S]

Judicial custody

GUWAHATI, July 17: The three miscreants working for three surrendered ULFA men who were arrested by Noonmati Police on Saturday night for extortion were remanded to judicial custody and a minimum of seven daysf custody would be mandatory for them. [AT]

Four SULFA activists arrested

LANKA, July 24: Four surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (SULFA) activists -- Bhaity, Kumud Saikia, Nilamoni Saikia and Balband Singh -- were chased away by a group of labourers from the reserved booking yard at Lanka railway station when the formers demanded Rs 32 lakh from timber traders yesterday. The four SULFA activists were later arrested by Lanka police acting on a case (No. 96/2000) lodged by timber traders under sections 387,506, 511/38. [S]

SULFA captures ULFA man, hands over to police

GAURIPUR, July 25: Some Surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (SULFA) activists captured a member of the "action group" of the ULFA, "captain" Surajit Chakraborty alias Anupam Choudhury when he was enjoying a movie in Basanta cinema hall at Dhubri yesterday. The SULFA activists handed him over to the police. [S]

Timber smugglers nabbed

CHHAYGAON, Aug 18: In a joint nightlong operation, the Special Forest Protection Force, Boko range and Chhaygaon police has seized a huge quantity of teak timber log on August 9 midnight from the Kulchi river. Eight notorious timber smugglers including two SULFA men have also been apprehended along with the illegitimate timber logs. The two SULFA men have been identified as Nimai Saud (30) and Koshen Rabha (26) of Chhaygaon area. It is known that notorious SULFA Nimai Saud has been reported to be indulging in various anti-social activities also. [S]

AGP Govt has totally failed to tackle the SULFA: Tarun Gogoi

GUWAHATI, Aug 24 : The Assam Pradesh Congress President, Mr Tarun Gogoi feels that there is nexus between the surrendered ultras, especially the SULFA and the policemen of the State. He is also of the opinion that the collection of goonda tax was on the rise, and therefore, wanted stern action against the menace. In an exclusive interview with The Sentinel, the MP elected from the Kaliabor constituency blamed the State government for its "miserable and total" failure to contain the SULFA, and said this was the main reason behind his party's demand for President's rule in the State. [S]

ULFA snipes at SULFA apartment in city

GUWAHATI, Sept 1: A group of suspected ULFA militants opened fire at the Tenant Apartment at Uday Path, Zoo Road where several SULFA leaders reside at around 2.30 p.m. today. Although the bullet pierced through the glass of window of the apartment, nobody was injured in the firing. Police later recovered two empty cartridges from the spot. Police said that the ULFA militants did target the SULFA leader, Mr Abinash Bordoloi who had surrendered before the Kamrup district administration on August 14 this year.

Our Correspondent from Itakhola adds: Meanwhile, a National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militant was killed in an encounter with the Army at Madhupur-Jaisiddhi area near Itakhola last night. Another militant managed to escape. [S]

Former ULFA man held

GUWAHATI, Sept 15: Basistha Police yesterday afternoon arrested a surrendered ULFA man, Jitu Goswami of Jajori in Nagaon district for trying to forcefully occupy a plot of land belonging to one Dulen Gayan of Beltola locality after beating him up with help of a few labourers. He also intimidated the person at gunpoint. [AT]

SULFA demand hits jute procurement too

GUWAHATI, Sept 20: The arm-twisting methods of the surrendered ULFA militants in cornering lucrative business for themselves has, as its latest victim, affected jute procurement in the State at a time when falling prices are presenting jute growers in the State with an uncertain future. [AT]

2 ULFA men killed

JORHAT, Sept 24: Self-styled finance secretary of Dhansiri anchalik unit of ULFA Tanu Chetia alias Alok Saikia along with another cadre Naba Hazarika were killed in an encounter at Borholla near Titabor at 11 a m today. The incident took place as the duo went to extort money from Pancha rice mill. Earlier yesterday a SULFA man Krishna Hazarika was hacked to death by irate tea labourers of Tyroon TE. [AT]

Lathi charge

GUWAHATI, Sept 28: Meanwhile Jalukbari police had to resort to lathi-charge to control a fight amongst some SULFA men and some local businessmen over some matters at the auction of NF Railway materials at Maligaon NF Railway headquarters this afternoon. Two SULFA men were arrested by late this evening. [AT]

Rail contracts under cloud SILCHAR, Oct 7: Construction work for upgradation of the 198-km-long Silchar-Lumding metre gauge railway track into a broad gauge line has been jeopardised by a syndicate which has links with a section of surrendered Ulfa (Sulfa) activists. This syndicate is allegedly trying to manipulate the contracts for the Rs 648-crore project in the favour of a particular contractor. [TT]

Traders' memo to DC on SULFA high-handedness

TINSUKIA, Oct 10: About 70 villagers of Tengapanigaon under Lankhasi police outpost in Tinsukia district submitted a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner urging him to take action against the surrendered ULFA activists, who have created a reign of terror in the area demanding cash from the local small traders. Three surrendered ULFA activists -- Lachit Neog, Romen Moran (both of Dimoruhola) and Lohit Duorah of Dhoka -- had gone to Garbasti of Tengapanigaon on September 21 in a Maruti van (AS 23A-2546) and demanded cash from some small traders there. [S]

Abducted trader rescued, 3 SULFA arrested

MORIGAON, Oct 12: The police, in a prompt action rescued Mr Devi Prasad Mour, a businessman of Hoiborgaon in Nagaon district, who had been kidnapped at gunpoint by some Surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (SULFA) activists while he was coming from Guwahati to Nagaon in his own car at around 8.30 p.m. yesterday, from an abandoned house at Morigaon town. The police arrested three SULFA activists -- Apurba Kumar Bordoloi alias Ratul, Ganesh Konwar alias Paneshwar and Dibbendra Nath alias Amar Barua -- at around 6.30 p.m. today. It may be mentioned that Amar Barua was the "commander" of the Kolong-Kopili Sakha of the banned outfit. [S]

Hardcore ULFA cadre gunned down

DIBRUGARH, Oct 19: A self-styled ULFA lieutenant, Pabitra Saikia was killed in an encounter with the Army at Naojan Tipamia area in Dibrugarh district yesterday. The Army recovered a Chinese pistol, a Sten gun and a large quantity of arms and ammunition from the slain militant. According to sources, Pabitra had been involved in the killing of SULFA man Tilendra Mantri on September 14 and Mr Suresh Agarwal on September 20. [S]

Miscreants dismantle illegal checkgate

SHILLONG, Oct 20: Tension prevailed in the Barnihat area, after miscreants dismantled an illegal checkgate here yesterday evening. According to sources, the checkgate was run by two SULFA cadres, who had illegally constructed it and were collecting money from the passing vehicles. Interestingly, the same checkgate was earlier busted by Guwahati city police five times. The miscreants also threw petrol bombs and destroyed the two cars of the SULFA and a nearby garage. [S]

SULFA violence leaves one dead, 8 hurt

GOALPARA, Oct 22: After failing to collect "goonda tax" from the fishermen at Balbala Bazar near here, armed SULFA activists resorted to indiscriminate firing leading to the death of one and injury to eight other fishermen on October 16. According to information available, a group of armed SULFA men arrived in a Maruti Gypsy on the day of the incident at about 7 a.m. at Balbala Bazar and demanded 25 per cent "revenue" on sale of fish from the fishermen. [AT]

One ULFA killed

DIBRUGARH, Oct 24: In an encounter between ULFA and Army in the Naojan Tipomia area under Dibrugarh district, a self-styled "lieutenant" of Naharkatia, Tingkhong and Sapekhati area was killed instantly on the night of October 18, said an Army source. He was involved in the murder of SULFA member, Tailendra Mantri on October 14 and Suresh Agarwalla, a businessman. Army recovered some weapons including a Chinese made 9 mm pistol and a Stengun, the source said. [S]

Rescued

GUWAHATI, Oct 26: Bharalu police on Thursday rescued the girl abducted by Manoj Hazarika, a surrendered ULFA man some days ago. The girl who belongs to Machkhowa area was taken to Dibrugarh was rescued on the couple's return to the city. However, the accused managed to give the slip to policemen. [AT]

Police yet to trace owner of stolen car

MORAN, Oct 30: The owner of the luxurious Santro car, which had been stolen and kept by SULFA activist Sonmoni Dihingia in the house of his father-in-law at Chakalia here on October 13, is yet to be traced. Getting no information on the car from any of the police stations in the State the police contacted the crime branch office at Delhi. On the other hand, Sonmoni is absconding. [S]

Former ultras who prefer agriculture to 'gunculture'

KAHIKUCHI, Nov 5: After extending more than four years of service to the ULFA, Bipul, Julfiqar, Madan and Dipak are now realising the futility of armed revolution. After their return to the mainstream last year, the youths now have started mushroom cultivation at the initiative of State Institute of Rural Development at Kahikuchi farm, 10 km away from Guwahati. [AT]

SULFA men held

GUWAHATI, Nov 6: Noonmati police this morning arrested surrendered ULFA man Dhruva Talukdar and his accomplice Pradeep Baishya for vandalism in Vandana Cinema last night. [AT]

CPI-ML using former militants, says ASDC(H)

GUWAHATI, Nov 9: The ASDC faction led by Holiram Terang today alleged that the CPI-ML was out to shatter the social fabric of tribal society in Karbi Anglong by engineering group clashes in different parts of the hill district. Addressing a press conference here, the vice-president of the ASDC faction, Babu Rongpi alleged that the CPI-ML which usurped power in the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) in August last, was using surrendered militants to terrorise ASDC (Holiram) supporters in the district. He also named five former ultras who are being used by the CPI-ML. They are: Jayanta Hazarika (former ULFA), Chatak Koch (former ULFA), Semson Teron (former KNV), Ratan Tramsa (former KNV), and Augustin Tramsa (former KPF). [AT]

SULFA member absconding

JORHAT, Nov 10: A Brahmaputra ghat lessee of Majuli and a SULFA member, Kamaleswar Bora, forcibly carried away an EAC and threatened him, recently. The police has seized the car and the country boat used by the SULFA member on November 9. Police have not been able to arrest Kamaleswar Bora since he is absconding. [S]

Surrendered ultras take out peace march

NALBARI, Nov 11: In quest of peace the Assam Jatia Mahasava, a newly formed organisation of surrendered militants, today took out a peace rally at Nalbari town which is considered to be a hotbed of insurgency in protest against the dastardhy killings at Kakojan, Naoholia, Nalbari and Sorbhog recently. [AT]

Former ULFA members from all over Assam taking out a peace rally at Nalbari town on Saturday in protest against the recent killings in Nalbari. The Assam Tribune photo.

Parag Das killing SULFA men were involved, says CBI GUWAHATI, Nov 28: Surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom (known as SULFA) men were involved in the killing of well known journalist Parag Kumar Das, who was a vocal critic of the activities of the SULFA men in different parts of the State. The CBI, which was entrusted with the job of investigating into the brutal killing of Sri Das, today filed the chargesheet of the case in the Court of the Special Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup. [AT]

SULFA accused denies CBI charge

SIVASAGAR, Nov 29: A SULFA leader of Sivasagar, Samar Kakati alias Mridul Phukan, who has been charged by the CBI as being involved in the sensational Parag Das murder case, in the court of the special judge in Guwahati yesterday, today stoutly refuted the charge and asserted that, he was under no circumstances involved in the heinous crime. There has been a tremendous consternation among the SULFA youths of the district over the CBI charge sheet in the Parag Das murder case. The close associates of Mridul Phukan too asserted that he was in no way involved in the case.
Meanwhile, there has been a great deal of sensation over the CBI's reported statement in the charge sheet that the sleuths of the agency could not trace out Mridul Phukan and that therefore he be treated as absconder, because people of Sivasagar know that he is very much present in the town, where he is even actively involved in vari ous social functions. He moves about openly in the town. Meanwhile, the police said, it will not arrest Mridul Phukan till the directive comes from the court to do so. [S]

Public meeting decries CBI charge sheet

SIVASAGAR, Nov 30: The CBI charge sheet on Parag Das murder case has given rise to a great deal of consternation among the people here, particularly the SULFA, who stoutly deny that the Sivasagar-based SULFA leader, Mridul Phukan alias Samar Kakati was in no way involved in the murder case as charged by the CBI. A big public meeting held at Sepon, the birth place of Mridul Phukan, where over 2,000 people participated today, said in a resolution that on the day of Parag Das' murder, Mridul was at Sepon. He in fact, had come to know about the sensational murder through TV news in the evening at the house of a local businessman, where some of his friends were also present. [S]

BJP fears use of SULFA in polls

NEW DELHI, Dec 5: The BJP central leadership is against imposition of President's Rule in Assam though it is wary of the ruling AGP's design to use the surrendered ULFA men (SULFA) to rig the forthcoming polls in the State. [AT]

Babul Phukan led hit squad

AGARTALA, Dec 17: Babul Phukan, a trusted aide of former ULFA leader Lohit Deuri has been identified as the man who led the attack on the ULFA C-in-C yesterday during which his deputy Raju Baruah was killed. It is learnt that two members of the hit squad were also killed during the attack. The attack is believed to have been masterminded by Assam Additional DG (Operations) GM Srivastav who was instrumental in the surrender of Lohit Deuri, a close aide of Paresh Baruah, resulting in a rift in the ULFA. The attack came at a time when the ULFA leaders were getting together at the Baburampur ULFA camp, 10 km from Tripura border for the general council meeting of the organisation. [AT]

Dhubri scene tense, under control

DHUBRI, Dec 19: In view of the deteriorating law-and-order situation in Dhubri town when the processionists numbering about 2,000 went berserk and started pelting stones at the houses of some surrendered ULFA activists, who retaliated by blank fire today, the district administration had to impose 144 CrPC banning the assembly of people in all public places. The timely intervention by the police, however, brought the situation under control. According to reports, the local people took out a march in protest against the hooliganism by a surrendered ULFA activist in a video house owned by one Samir Ahmed which led to the creation of an unruly scene in which a constable of the 4th AP Bn was killed at new market area here yesterday. [S]