Journalist, student leader arrested for ULFA links

Guwahati, June 21 (UNI) A journalist of a vernacular daily and a leader of a student organisation were arrested by Tinsukia police today on charges of working for the outlawed ULFA.

Police sources said the Kakopathar correspondent of an Assamese daily, Rabin Dhekial Phukon and assistant general secretary of Asom Students and Youth Organization (ASYO) Lalon Moran were arrested after specific inputs suggesting that the duo had provided logistic support and other aid to the ULFA.

According to police, the duo had direct links with some top leaders of the ULFA's '28th battalion'- the main strike force of the outfit- like Pranjal Saikia and Ujjal Gohain.

The sources said that the duo confessed to have provided mobile SIM cards to the ULFA, and had also participated in the outfit's foundation day programme this year held at Manabum Reserve Forest in Arunachal Pradesh.

The accused were also instrumental in instigating the villagers against the security forces in the Tinsukia district, triggering the unprecedented protests which led to the killing of several innocents, police added.

Significantly, in another revelation, the duo said the ULFA was contemplating on forming a frontal organization to work for the outfit overground.

UNI