The Assam police on Saturday arrested a man from the Tamulpur district for a social media post supporting the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), a banned militant organisation, officials said.
The man, identified as Bijumoni Rabha (36), showed interest in joining the banned militant group in a Facebook post he uploaded on December 19 and was arrested under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act 1967, said district superintendent of police (SP), Pankaj Yadav.
Rabha was detained on December 21, SP Yadav said. It was found that he was in contact with ULFA-I, and they had several conversations, which proved that he was involved in illegal activities. Upon searching, we also recovered illegal stuff and documents, he added.
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Yadav on Saturday told HT that after the initial investigation, police arrested Rabha under section 13(2) (whoever, in any way, assists any unlawful activity of any association declared unlawful) of UAPA and Section 121 (attempting or abetting war against the Government of India).
Police said that they are investigating the matter further and are examining call details of Bijumoni, adding that he will be produced before the court later.
{{/usCountry}}Police said that they are investigating the matter further and are examining call details of Bijumoni, adding that he will be produced before the court later.
{{/usCountry}}Meanwhile, Assam director general of police (DGP), Gyanendra Pratap Singh on Saturday issued a strict warning against youths willing to join ULFA-I.
He cautioned people against putting up social media posts in support of outlawed terrorist organisation and warned that those taking to social media to lend their support to the banned outfits will be arrested and prosecuted as per the law.
“Anyone willing to join or support any terrorist group banned by the government will be arrested and prosecuted according to law. Please be careful about what you write about banned organizations on social media,” he wrote on X.
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ULFA-I in September this year killed its four cadres, all Assam residents, for allegedly disobeying their constitution. When the police asked the militant group to return the dead bodies, they were denied.
Singh also appealed to the youths of Assam not to join the militant group and also asked the active members of ULFA-I to surrender and return home. According to the police, at least 11 active ULFA-I members returned home in 2023 so far.
On December 19, Assam police arrested seven suspected linkmen of ULFA-I from Jorhat and Guwahati.
On Friday, the DGP said that in the last two and half years, Assam police have cleared more than one lakh bigha land encroached by illegal Bangladeshis and stopped the trade of drugs from Myanmar, which has disturbed the militant groups.
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“Those militants are staying in Myanmar and they have families in Bangladesh, we have stopped encroachment of land in Assam by their relatives and reduced trade of drugs from Myanmar. So they are unhappy,” he said.