Guwahati, Dec 17: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has arrested a key operative of proscribed outfit, United Liberation of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), for planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) during this year’s Independence Day celebrations here.
“NIA teams, with the active support of Assam Police, carried out searches in the house of Jahnu Baruah alias Arnab Axom in Dibrugarh in an intelligence-based operation carried out in the early hours of Monday morning. Several incriminating materials, including digital devices, were seized during a search of his house and are currently under examination,” an official statement said.
The arrested ULFA-I operative was subsequently summoned to the local police establishment for further examination.
“The accused, during preliminary investigation, confessed to his involvement in planting four of the 11 improvised explosive devices (IEDs) that were recovered by the state police during the Independence Day celebrations,” the statement said.
The IEDs had been planted as part of the Independence Day “boycott call” by ULFA-I self-styled commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah in a video, warning dire consequences for anyone disobeying the instructions. Consequently, Jahnu Baruah was arrested after following the due procedure.
The ULFA-I operative, who planted four IEDs – at Pan Bazar, Dispur, Gandhi Mandap and Satgaon here – had been under surveillance for the past several weeks.
“He was one of the several suspects identified by NIA, on the basis of technical and human intelligence, as being involved in collection and transportation of the IEDs that were planted to trigger large-scale explosions in Assam on the occasion of Independence Day, causing loss to property and life and inciting terror in the state,” the statement said.
Notably, the NIA had taken over the investigation of the case from the state police on September 17, 2024.
The investigation agency found that the IEDs were planted at the behest of Aishang Asom alias Abhijit Gogoi and other top leaders of ULFA (1). Further investigation in the case is underway.