ULFA cease-fire cadres to quit if proved guilty

Guwahati, Nov 11: With the outlawed ULFA's name pronounced as a suspect in 30/10 Assam serial blasts, the cease-fire faction of the outfit has announced of quitting the organization if the allegations are proved correct. ''The ULFA cadres who are in ceasefire will definitely quit the outfit immediately if ULFA is found to be involved in any way with the blasts,'' cease-fire faction leader Jiten Dutta said during an interview with a local satellite channel on Monday, Nov 10 evening.

Dutta, 'the commander' of 'Alpha' and 'Charlie' companies of ULFA's '28th battalion' that is currently in cease-fire, however, expressed reservations about probability of the outfit being linked with the blasts. ''ULFA is a revolutionary group and it cannot be involved with such dastardly acts,'' he added. However, investigations into the blasts so far have not placed ULFA above the scope of suspicion, with investigating agencies indicating that fundamentalist organisations had carried out the blasts with the help of local groups.

The name of ULFA and NDFB, a Bodo militant outfit currently in cease-fire, has emerged during the probe, though police have refrained from divulging details.

Dutta revealed that the ULFA had carried out blasts several times, including planting car bombs, but maintained that being a 'revolutionary' organization, it would not indulge in an act of killing as the October 30 blasts.

The ULFA, the primary initial suspect, had been prompt in denying its involvement after the blasts, though the authorities were not paying much heed to the denial as the outfit is known to deny involvement whenever it had claimed innocent lives.

Eight-five people have been killed so far in the nine synchronized blasts in the towns of Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon.

UNI