Ulfa kills two cadres on charge of ‘spying’ on behalf of police

Himanta Biswa Sarma denies that the cops had sent 'spies' to infiltrate the outfit

Representational image.: Shutterstock

Umanand Jaiswal   |   TT  |  Guwahati   |    08.05.22  : The United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (Ulfa-I) “executed” two of its cadres on Saturday morning for “spying” on behalf of the police and the army, a media statement from the banned outfit said.

The group said its judicial council had “awarded” the death sentence to Dhanjit Das of Barpeta district and Sanjib Sarma of Kamrup district. It released a video in which the duo purportedly admit to being police “spies”.

Saturday’s development comes amid a unilateral “ceasefire” that the outfit announced after the BJP-led alliance retained power in May last year.

Chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, said the Ulfa-I claim, if true, was “unfortunate”. He denied that the police had sent “spies” to infiltrate the outfit and appealed for peace.

Reports suggest that more than 200 fresh recruits have joined the group, which now conducts its operations from Myanmar.

The Ulfa statement said Das had fled the group's camp on April 24 but was caught the next day.

He was sentenced on May 4 after he “admitted” to having “exhorted” other recruits to surrender and inform the police about the outfit’s supporters and well-wishers.

Sarma had joined the outfit at the “behest” of a few police officers in lieu of money, with the objective of supplying information that would help neutralise senior Ulfa-I leaders, the statement said.

Both Das and Sarma had left their homes in March. Das, who was in his 30s, is survived by his wife and minor son. Sarma was not yet 19.

Ulfa-I had on April 26 released a video in which Sanjib purportedly admitted sharing information with the police and the army. He had apparently joined the outfit to “avenge” the death of his elder brother, an army para commando killed in a militant ambush in Manipur last year.