Assam: Sivasagar Police Detain 2 For Using ULFA's Name For Extortion

Sivasagar police in Assam launched an operation and apprehended two individuals for extortion in the name of the proscribed militant outfit ULFA (I). The duo had allegedly threatened a businessman in an attempt to extort money from him, officials said.

As per reports, the police operation was carried out at Betbari village in the Sivasagar district during which the two accused were held. They were identified as Pradip Bora and Mukut Changmai alias Uma Changmai.

While Pradip Bora is a resident of Bhekelai village located in the district’s Demow subdivision, Mukut Changmai hails from Betbari village, the police said. They had threatened a local businessman in the name of the United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA[I]), a banned insurgent group, after which a police complaint was filed.

Jorhat Businessmen Get ULFA(I) Threats

Last month, several businessmen in Assam’s Jorhat district received letters allegedly sent by ULFA (I) demanding huge sums of money. The extortion letters were in the name of Ashim Asom. The recipients informed the police, leading to the seizure of a significant number of extortion letters.
Police investigations were launched to track the origin of these demands and ensure the safety of the affected business community.

In one letter, the sender Ashim Asom demanded a whopping Rs 3,00,000 as a donation for the organization's special requirements and asked the receiver to send the money to the given crypto wallet address via cryptocurrency ‘Ethereum’ by October 27, 2024.  The sender also warned the businessman to avoid any complications that might invite trouble to his establishment.

Also Read: ULFA-I Warns Bajrang Dal Over History Distortion, Denies Sivasagar Bomb Link