ULFA(I) Rejects Police Claims Linking Arrested Youth to Outfit

The banned insurgent outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) has denied any connection with a youth identified as Pankaj Das, who was recently arrested by Assam Police from the Pub-Dubi area under Gaurisagar in Jorhat district.

In a statement issued on Sunday, the outfit said media reports regarding the arrest of the youth had come to its notice. According to ULFA(I), the arrested individual was seen making what appeared to be a confession before the media, claiming that he had been recruited by the organisation.

Rejecting the claim outright, ULFA(I) stated that Pankaj Das had no link or communication with the organisation. The outfit challenged Assam Police to make public details from the youth’s mobile phone, including any alleged communication with its leaders, office-bearers or members, if such contact had actually taken place.

The organisation argued that since the youth is currently in police custody and his belongings, including his mobile phone, have reportedly been seized, it should be possible for investigators to verify the authenticity of his claims. ULFA(I) said any evidence of recruitment, instructions or communication should be presented publicly if available.

The outfit further alleged that Assam Police has been pursuing what it described as a “create and capture policy”, claiming that certain individuals are lured into operating fake social media accounts in the name of ULFA(I) to attract youths sympathetic to Assam’s sovereignty movement. It specifically referred to a social media account named “Sangrami Bandhu”, alleging that it was being operated from Sivasagar Sadar Police Station.

According to the statement, several youths who had been in contact with the account were detained by the police and later released after counselling. ULFA(I) suggested that the arrest of Pankaj Das could be part of a similar operation and urged police to prove the organisation wrong by releasing evidence.

The outfit also referred to a previous statement issued in 2023, alleging that police had recruited certain individuals for such activities and subjected them to mental pressure. It further claimed that one such individual later died by suicide and that the matter remains under judicial consideration.

ULFA(I) claimed that it possesses information about individuals allegedly engaged in such activities and warned those involved to withdraw immediately. The organisation further appealed to parents to remain vigilant and ensure that their children do not become involved in what it described as such operations.