15 arrested for allegedly planting IEDs across Assam during Independence Day celebrations

Guwahati: A total of 15 people, including three women, have been arrested from across Assam in connection with the banned ULFA(I) "planting explosives at 24 locations to trigger serial blasts" on Independence Day.

Assam Police Chief Public Relations Officer Pranabjyoti Goswami, in a statement, said that the force carried out the operations in collaboration with the National Investigation Agency (NIA).

"Assam Police, with technical support of NIA, conducted coordinated raids in different parts of the state and apprehended 15 persons (including three women) on Saturday night," he added.

Terming it a major breakthrough in the investigation into the planting of IED-like materials during Independence Day celebrations, Assam Police said the raids came after prolonged intelligence gathering in coordination with NIA.

"Incriminating facts have been untethered after preliminary interrogation of the apprehended persons and more information about the conspiracy is expected to be known after prolonged interrogation, in due course of time," it added.

Goswami said three persons each were arrested from Dibrugarh and Lakhimpur districts, two each from Jorhat and Guwahati, and one each from Tinsukia, Sadiya, Nagaon, Nalbari and Tamulpur.

Earlier, four persons were arrested from Sivasagar district for their alleged involvement in the case.

Police had also announced a cash reward of up to Rs 5 lakh for credible information leading to the identification of those involved in manufacturing, transportation and planting of the "IED-like devices" in different parts of the state.

Last month, Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh had said two cases of the 10 related to ULFA(I)'s planting of "IED-like" objects would be transferred to the NIA for investigation.

Assam Police had formed multiple SITs in 10 districts where "bomb-like substances" were found after the banned ULFA(I) claimed to have planted explosives at 24 locations to trigger serial blasts across the state on Independence Day.

Police unearthed "bomb-like substances" from at least 10 places, including four in Guwahati.

In an email purportedly from the United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) to media houses, including PTI, the terror outfit asserted that the bombs did not explode due to "technical failure".

ULFA(I) said the blasts were scheduled to take place between 6 am and noon on August 15 but after failure in execution, it sought public cooperation for defusing the explosive devices.

The email, which was sent minutes after Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma completed his speech on the occasion of 78th Independence Day, prompted the security forces to send multiple teams to all the places mentioned by ULFA(I) to look for explosives along with bomb disposal squads assisted by other central security forces, including the Army.

The entire development put a big question mark on the efficacy of the intelligence wing as police had no clue about the existence of the bombs until ULFA(I) itself informed about these, despite the entire state being on high alert on the occasion of Independence Day celebrations.