NIA chief in Assam, to visit violence-hit areas Wednesday

Guwahati, Jan 6 (IANS) NIA chief Sharad Kumar reached Assam Tuesday to take stock of the central agency's probe into the recent violence in Assam that left 81 people dead and over two lakh homeless.

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) director general held discussions here with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi, Director General of Police (DGP) Khagen Sarma, Chief Secretary Jitesh Khosla and other officials.

Assam Police sources said the NIA chief will Wednesday visit the violence-affected areas in Kokrajhar and Sonitpur districts.

The NIA has registered four cases regarding the violence perpetrated by the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB). An NIA team has already visiting the areas.

NDFB militants launched a series of attacks Dec 23 at five locations in Kokrajhar, Sonitpur and Chirang districts, killing 78 people and injuring many others.

Another three people were killed in police firing in Sonitpur the next day, taking the toll to 81.

The violence created panic among the people in Kokrajhar, Chirang and Sonitpur and Udalguri districts and led to displacement of thousands of Bodos and adivasis.

Assailants had also set on fire close to 400 houses in the four districts.

The army, police and paramilitary forces have already intensified operations against the NDFB, particularly along the international border with Bhutan in Assam's Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD) and along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh inter-state border.

Meanwhile, police have sounded an alert and intensified security following information that the United Liberation Front of Asom and the NDFB may try to carry out subversive activities in Guwahati, Additional Director General of Police (Law and Order) R.M. Singh said Tuesday.

Police had Monday arrested an ULFA cadre from Nagaon district.

"During interrogation, the cadre revealed he was to carry out subversive activities in the city. He was operating under instructions from ULFA leader Dristi Rajkhowa and was awaiting explosives for the job," the police official said.

He also said militants were planning to target political leaders in the state, particularly ahead of the Republic Day celebrations.