ULFA factions move to grab attention ahead of Global Investors Summit

GUWAHATI: Security forces have intensified the security following intelligence inputs which suggested that banned outfit anti-talk faction of ULFA is out to grab attention ahead of Global Investors Summit, which will be held here in February.

Anti-talk Ulfa faction under Paresh Baruah has sent ransom demands and extortion notes to a couple of tea estates through WhatsApp message.

BJP-led government’s mega event, Global Investors Summit to be held on February 3 and 4 and will be inaugurated by Prime minister Narendra Modi.

Earlier the outfit use to give ransom demand in writing on letterhead however now it is sending WhatsApp message.

Additional director general of Assam Police (special branch) Pallab Bhattacharya told ET, “This is a new method adopted by anti-talk ULFA. However, we are able to identify the sender. The outfit which is suffering from a paucity of fund wants to grab attention ahead of global summit by targeting the tea planters.”

He said, “The WhatsApp message is followed by calls originating from Myanmar. There is a systematic fall in outfits’ money collection in last three years.”

Around 300 tea estate out of Assam 800 tea estate is located in Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts of Upper Assam. The area under Tea in Dibrugarh and Tinsukia is around about 1,75,000 hectares.

A senior police officer told ET, “These two districts share a border with Arunachal Pradesh and militants’ easily sneak in from these places to their hideouts in Myanmar.”

In 1990, ULFA had hounded the tea industrialists and oil companies of the state. The outfit killed industrialist Swaraj Paul’s younger brother Surendra Paul chairman of Apeejay Tea Ltd.