Studied silence after ULFA leaders' arrest

Guwahati, Nov 8 : A special team of Assam Police today continued interrogation of the two arrested top ULFA leaders even as the militant outfit as well as authorities remained tightlipped regarding the future course of action on each side.

Security has also been heightened across the State in view of the 12-hour Statewide bandh called by the ULFA, demanding the unconditional release of its leaders.

The outfit’s 'finance secretary’ Chitrabon Hazarika and ‘foreign secretary’ Sashadhar Choudhury were remanded to 10-day police custody by the CJM court here yesterday after they were arrested under mysterious circumstances at the Tripura border by the BSF.

Though initial reports had suggested that the duo had surrendered before the BSF, but the militant leaders claimed before the media yesterday that they had not surrendered, fuelling reports that they had actually been picked up by Bangladeshi special forces and handed over to India in an informal manner.

Police here refused to divulge details of the arrest or any confessions made during the interrogation.

Meanwhile, security across the State has been tightened ahead of the dawn-to-dusk bandh called by the ULFA.

ULFA ‘chairman’ Arabinda Rajkhowa had given the call for the bandh demanding the unconditional release of the group leaders.

However, organisations like Assam Public Works (APW) have appealed to the public not to pay heed the ULFA’s bandh call.

The APW maintained that the ULFA leaders were ‘ISI agents’ and ‘criminals’ and were taking shelter in ‘our enemy country Bangladesh’.

The NGO, active in anti-ULFA movement, has cited the ULFA’s close ties with Bangladesh, the nation responsible for our infiltration problem, as the main reason behind opposing the bandh called in their favour.

--UNI

(c) 2009 Published with permission from United News of India.
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