The proscribed militant group United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) on May 7 claimed that two accused “spies of the Assam police and army” were assassinated in their camp.
In a statement, the ULFA-I stated it had “given death sentences to two moles” who were allegedly involved in “spying on behalf of the Assam police and army” against the militant group.
Later, ULFA-I commander Paresh Barua announced in a video message that the “death sentence” been carried out by killing Dhanjit Das and Sanjib Sarma.
The group also released a video of Das and Sarma, in which they allegedly “confessed about how they were sent to join the ULFA-I’s hideouts by Assam police and the army to gather inside knowledge about the extremist group and destroy their outposts in various locations” by the Assam police and the army.
“Sarma and Das worked under the orders and supervision of law enforcement personnel, and they were given training to join the organization and spy on the group,” ULFA-I stated in a statement.
The two were shown in the video asking Assamese youngsters not to work with the police and army in exchange for money against the ULFA-I.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma previously stated that no one from the Assam police is sent to the ULFA-I. “There is no prospect of sending any spies abroad, and Assam police is solely responsible for its own jurisdiction,” Sarma had said.
After taking office on May 10, 2021, chief minister Sarma, who also holds the home ministry, asked Paresh Barua to come forward for peace negotiations and abandon the 42-year-old rebellion.
He has previously stated that Union home minister Amit Shah had granted him complete authority to begin preliminary negotiations with the ULFA-I.
The ULFA-I, which has twice extended its unilateral ceasefire and avoided declaring a bandh or boycott on last year’s Independence Day and this year’s Republic Day celebrations, has reportedly recruited some young people as armed cadres in the recent months.
