FIR against Assam cricket body secy for appeal to ULFA

Guwahati, Mar 23 (UNI) A police complaint has been lodged against Assam Cricket Association (ACA) secretary Bikash Barua for publishing a newspaper advertisement, appealing for the proscribed ULFA's support for the peaceful conduct of an India-Pakistan ODI in the city in November last.

The FIR was lodged by the Assam Public Works (APW) on March 21 at the Chandmari police station of the city under the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act.

Sources informed that the complaint was lodged on the basis of the newspaper advertisement of November 2 last year, wherein Mr Barua, in his capacity as the secretary of the ACA, had urged the outlawed ULFA to refrain from violence ahead of the international cricket match.

Though the appeal had created an uproar at the time of publication, it is only now that formal complaint has been lodged.

The APW has questioned how Mr Barua, who is an employee in the state Agriculture department, could appeal to a banned outfit at a time when counter-insurgency operations were on.

The ODI was scheduled for November 5 and ULFA strikes ahead of the match had cast shadow over it. However, the match was held without any disturbances on the slated date amidst tight security.

UNI SG ADG SS1823