Assam: SULFA Cadre's Family Calls for Investigation After Police Encounter

In a significant development, Rahul Hazarika, alias Laden, a surrendered cadre of the United Liberation Front of Asom (SULFA), was arrested over his alleged involvement in a plot to abduct officials from the Oil and Natural Gas Corporation (ONGC) in Sivasagar. Hazarika was reportedly shot in the leg while allegedly attempting to escape police custody, prompting conflicting statements from his family and the Assam police.

Hazarika’s wife asserts that he has no connection to ULFA-I and is merely engaged in a small contractual business. “I, along with my family members, have submitted a memorandum to the Sivasagar Superintendent of Police regarding my husband being shot in the leg during a police encounter. On October 15, my husband was picked up by police late in the midnight hours. We followed the police vehicle for some distance, but at that time they vanished. Thereafter, he was shot in his leg during a police encounter; we demand an investigation in this regard. I have a two-year-old son to look after. My husband was involved with ULFA-I earlier in 2016, but not now; he surrendered in 2019. He was engaged in contractual business,” she stated.

Family members have raised concerns, questioning, “If Rahul had committed any crime, he should be taken into custody; why was he shot in the leg during a police encounter?” Following these claims, a memorandum seeking justice was submitted to the Superintendent of Police by Hazarika’s family.

Earlier, Sivasagar Superintendent of Police Subhrajyoti Borah detailed the case, explaining that the abduction plot had been in development since May 2024. He noted that ONGC official Tahirul Hussain was implicated. “On the evening of October 5 and throughout October 6, we received information from our secret sources that some suspected individuals in two cars were conducting a reconnaissance on the highways in Sivasagar. We had increased security checks at our naka points. Following this, we analyzed the suspects who were roaming in the town, which led us to apprehend one individual yesterday, Irshad Latif alias Mithu. Based on his confession, we learned that ULFA-I was planning to abduct two to three ONGC senior officials from a rig at Bakota Nemuguri area on October 6 after the shift change at around 6 to 6:30 p.m.,” SP Borah explained.

Borah further elaborated on the investigation, stating, “After further investigation, we identified SULFA cadre Rahul Hazarika alias Laden, who is from Moran, and he was apprehended in the early hours today. We also learned about Tahirul Hussain, an assistant engineer at ONGC, who provided information about all the senior officials working in the rig and orchestrated the timing for when they would come out. The entire abduction plan was devised in the latter half of May 2024, with final arrangements made on October 1 or 2. On the evening of October 5, Laden arrived in Sivasagar from Moran and spent the night at Mithu’s or Tahirul’s residence. On October 6, around 4 to 4:30 a.m., he left with an Innova car, headed to the Assam-Nagaland border in Charaideo district, picked up four ULFA-I cadres, and conducted reconnaissance on the highways near Sivasagar town. Their attempt at abduction was thwarted due to increased police checks and the fact that the intended victims had already left the rig.”

As a result of this operation, Irshad Latif and Rahul Hazarika were arrested; however, Tahirul Hussain remains at large along with two other individuals. SP Borah confirmed that the police are actively pursuing them and have alerted ONGC about Hussain’s involvement, advising them to take appropriate disciplinary action.

It is noteworthy that after being apprehended in Moran during the early hours, Hazarika was allegedly taken to the Bakota Nemuguri rig, the site where the abduction was planned. However, due to a mechanical failure of the police vehicle, Hazarika attempted to escape, prompting the police to fire at his leg. Following this incident, he sustained a leg injury and was referred to Assam Medical College Hospital (AMCH) in Dibrugarh.

Later, in a surprising twist, Hazarika denied the allegations before the media, stating, “The police picked me up at around 2:30 a.m. and took me toward a jungle in Sonari, asking me to step down from the police vehicle and run. When I didn’t run, they shot me in my left leg and brought me to a nursing home and then to AMCH. They have not allowed me to talk to my parents.”

Also Read: Assam Police Foil ULFA-I's Abduction Plot Targeting ONGC Officials in Sivasagar