AT Photo (File): Assam Police launch search operation to recover the bombs on I-Day
Guwahati, Aug 20: The Assam Police will hand over the the investigation of the recent bomb threats issued by the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) in Guwahati and Lakhimpur to the National Investigation Agency (NIA).
Informing these on Monday night, Director General of Police, GP Singh has said that so far, four people have been arrested in connection with the case.
“We have arrested four people including one person who is involved in planting one of the bomb-like objects. Considering the complexities of the case, we have decided to seek assistance from the NIA in investigating the bomb threats in Guwahati and Lakhimpur,” he told the press.
He also assured the public of the state’s unwavering commitment to maintaining peace and security. “We’ve been combating terrorism in Assam for the last 40 years. Today, we’re closer than ever to eradicating such activities. We will take stringent actions against anyone trying to revive the days of violence and terror,” Singh added.
Earlier, in the aftermath of the bomb threat issued by the ULFA-I on Independence Day, Assam Police, in a desperate move, had announced a reward of Rs 5 lakh for anyone providing credible information about the bomb planting.
In Guwahati, the police had recovered bomb-like objects from four locations of the eight mentioned in ULFA-I’s press release, whereas two similar recoveries were made in Lakhimpur.
Meanwhile, the Assam Police have apprehended a suspect linked to the proscribed ULFA-I following a bomb threat that sent shockwaves through the state, including Guwahati, on Monday.
Acting on intelligence, an operation by Jalukbari Police led to the arrest of Pawan Darji, a suspected ULFA-I cadre, from the Gorchuk area late Monday night.
Darji is currently detained at Jalukbari Police Station, where he is being questioned.
According to police sources, Darji had been extorting money from a resident in Tetelia, Jalukbari, using ULFA-I’s name.
“Darji was demanding money, taking advantage of the current situation with the bomb threat making headlines,” a police official told The Assam Tribune.
The arrest comes in the wake of a chaotic scene that unfolded at the City Centre Mall on GS Road earlier on Monday.
Reports of a possible bomb planted within the mall triggered an immediate response from security agencies, which evacuated the eight-storey building and deployed a bomb squad to conduct an exhaustive search.
However, after a tense few hours, the Assam Police declared the bomb scare a hoax.
Reportedly, the scare was prompted by an email from an organisation named KNR, claiming a bomb had been planted in the mall.
The email not only caused panic among shoppers, who fled the mall in fear, but also mirrored similar threats reported across several malls nationwide.
Assam Police are actively investigating the origin of the email and any connections it may have to other incidents across the state.
