Guwahati, May 2: In a significant development ahead of the third and concluding phase of the Lok Sabha elections in Assam, law enforcement authorities in Chirang district averted a probable disaster by recovering an explosive device, buried on the banks of the Champabati river at Kachudola near Basugaon, in the early hours of Thursday.
The recovery of the device followed after three Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) members were arrested during a raid conducted in a hotel in the station road area of Basugaon town. The raid was conducted on the basis of intelligence reports.
The arrested KLO operatives, identified as Robin Barman alias Lankeshwar Koch alias Lambu of Hekaipara, Utpal Roy alias Pankaj Koch of Gossaigaon, and Dhananjay Barman of Noitamara 1st block, subsequently revealed during police interrogation about the site where the explosive device was concealed.
The arrested KLO operatives are suspected to have assembled in Basugaon to carry out subversive activities during the run-up to the third phase elections.