The Assam Police in the Nagaon district has arrested two persons for allegedly announcing their intention to join the Paresh Baruah-led faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom and allegedly supporting the banned outfit, in a couple of social media posts.
Nava Bora, 25, working with a Guwahati-based private firm, was arrested by the Nagaon police on Monday, from the Nonoi area of the district, and 46-year-old Shipra Dutta, a housewife, was arrested from Guwahati.
Bora allegedly posted comments on a social media platform expressing support for the proscribed militant organization, and also his willingness to join it. He was produced in court on Tuesday and remanded to 14-day judicial custody.
On the other hand, Dutta, while alleging harassment by a local political leader, also allegedly posted pro-ULFA comments on social media and expressed her willingness to join the outfit. She was produced before the court on Tuesday and also sent to 14-day judicial custody.
“They took to social media to announce their intention of joining the Ulfa-I. They also uploaded some posts in support of the outfit. We registered a case against them and arrested Nava Bora on Monday from Nonoi and produced him in court on Tuesday. We arrested Shipra Dutta from Guwahati on Tuesday. While Nava hails from Nonoi area of Nagaon district, Shipra Dutta is a permanent resident of Nagaon’s Kachalukhowa area but stays in Guwahati with her family as her husband works there,” Manoj Rajbongshi, the officer-in-charge of Nagaon police station told media.
In recent times, the usage of social media has increased manifold by youths joining the banned outfit. If reports are to be believed, at least 296 youths from Assam have joined the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) between September 2021 and April 2022.
On the other hand, the Assam police have arrested dozens of youths from different parts of the state for either their attempts to join the organisation or for coming in support of the outfit through social media posts.
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