Pro-talk ULFA leader, actress detained for Guwahati grenade blast

According to reports, the police raided a house in the Panjabari area of the city on Thursday and recovered some explosives, a pistol and 25 rounds of live ammunition.

Published on: May 16, 2019, 19:09:26 IST

Guwahati | By Utpal Parashar

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A leader from the pro-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) and an actress have been detained by police in connection with Wednesday’s grenade blast in Guwahati in which 11 people were injured.

Security personnel with sniffer dogs inspect parceled goods, at Guwahati Railway station. (PTI)

According to reports, the police raided a house in the Panjabari area of the city on Thursday and recovered some explosives, a pistol and 25 rounds of live ammunition. The police are yet to confirm the find.

“Our investigations are continuing and we have made satisfactory progress. But we won’t be able to divulge details at the moment,” said Assam Police DGP, Kuladhar Saikia.

The actress has been identified as Jahnabi Saikia and the pro-talk ULFA leader is Pranamay Rajguru. The actress had taken the house on rent around 10 days ago.

A grenade lobbed near a security check point outside a shopping mall had resulted in 11 persons, including two Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) personnel getting injured.

The banned United Liberation Front of Assam-Independent (ULFA-I), the anti-talks faction of the outfit, claimed responsibility for the blast.

“The revolution will be successful. Till there is a political solution to our demand, such incidents will keep occurring. I am not involved in the blast,” Rajguru told journalists, after he was detained for questioning by the police.

It is suspected that continued operations in recent weeks by security forces in Myanmar and India on outfits which have camps in the neighbouring country, may have led ULFA-I to carry out Wednesday’s blast.

ABOUT THE AUTHOR
Utpal Parashar
A seasoned senior journalist, I have nearly three decades of experience across print, digital, and online platforms, covering political transitions, insurgencies, environmental issues, and development stories in India and Nepal. I am skilled in breaking news, leading editorial teams and launch of newspaper editions. I am adept at leveraging digital trends and social media to expand global reach, with a strong ethical foundation and a reputation for impactful journalism. An alumnus of Asian College of Journalism, I joined Hindustan Times in New Delhi as a trainee reporter in May 1997. Over the years, I have been posted in Dehradun, Kathmandu (Nepal) and Guwahati. Currently, as Senior Assistant Editor at Hindustan Times, I lead a team reporting on India’s northeastern states. My work involves in-depth analysis, and engaging multimedia storytelling across formats, including text, photo, video, and interactive content. I am skilled in producing timely, shareable content, leveraging digital platforms and social media to engage global audiences. Throughout my career with the Hindustan Times, I have led diverse editorial teams, designed capacity-building activities, and supported reporters in developing strong story ideas, ethical reporting practices, digital skills, and fact-checking techniques. As Senior Assistant Editor for Northeast India, I have been responsible for guiding correspondents through complex political, humanitarian, and community-level stories using multimedia formats. Earlier, as Foreign Correspondent in Nepal, I produced extensive reporting during Nepal’s democratic transition and the 2015 earthquake and its aftermath.Read More

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