Guwahati: Assam Director General of Police (DGP) GP Singh on Monday reacted to the threats given to him in an open letter by rebel outfit ULFA-Independent (ULFA-I) over stopping of fake encounters in the state.
Responding to the warning issued by ULFA-I, the Director General of Police said that there is “nothing new” in the threats by the rebel outfit, claiming that he had been receiving such threats by various terrorist outfits during his long police career.
Speaking to the media in a press conference Assam DGP GP Singh said, “It’s nothing new. ULFA-I is not the only organisation. I have received such threats from various terror outfits in career.”
This came in response after the firing incident that left one alleged extortionist, identified as Hem Chetia, injured in Upper Assam. Moreover, a woman was also arrested in Dibrugarh over suspicious links with the outlawed outfit to which ULFA-I alleged that there have been several instances where individuals were falsely collecting money in the name of their organisation.
GP Singh also took to Twitter to post about extortion demands being made, mostly in the name of ULFA. He also warned that those caught trying to extort money in the name of ULFA will be prosecuted under the anti-terror law irrespective of their links to the group.
The proscribed armed insurgent group threatened the DGP of dire consequences if he didn’t refrain himself from the recent police actions. The insurgent group has threatened the Assam DGP, saying either he should stop fake encounters against locals or leave the state.
The threat was issued to the police chief through a press statement that was issued to the media via mail on Sunday by ULFA-I leader Rumel Asom.
In the statement, ULFA opposed the “persecution of innocent people” by linking them to their organisation and urged police to halt such actions.
The banned rebel outfit has clarified that Hem Chetia from Sivasagar district, who was arrested and shot in the leg by the police, was not authorised to collect funds on behalf of the organisation.
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They also denied any association with the woman who was apprehended by Dibrugarh police for allegedly collecting funds in the name of the organisation.
However, according to Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra, “We have received a bottle grenade and Rs 10,000 from his residence. During, the interrogation, Hema Chetia revealed that he was a former ULFA-I cadre. Hema Chetia is basically an ULFA (I) linkman and collected extortion money from businessmen and transport it to other linkmen,” he said.
Also Read | Assam: Man held for extorting money hurt in police firing, says Officials