Bijoy Asom Gives Assam Police The Slip After Grenade Blast

GUWAHATI: The Assam Police was found totally clueless when Bijoy Asom, a member of the ULFA’s action group recently entered the State’s capital city, stayed at a rented accommodation at Panjabari area, made a plan to cause a subversive act in the city, successfully executed the plan on May 15 and then fled.

Sources in the police said Bijoy Asom alias Papu Rajbongshi alias Rajani alias Andi Asom originally hails from Dibrugarh district and is one of the most hardcore ULFA cadres who executed several subversive acts in different parts of the State. He is one of the most wanted extremists in the Assam Police’s list. Bijoy Asom had played the vital role to execute the grenade attack in front of a shopping mall on the RG Barua Road in the city, the source said. The grenade attack had left 12 people, including two SSB personnel and children, injured.

Bijoy Asom, sources said made a recce with the self-styled ULFA leader Pranamoy Rajguru and an actress, Jahnabi Saikia, to successfully cause the grenade blast during his stay in the city. He had stayed at the rented house of Jahnabi Saikia at Panjabari and fled just on the eve of the police conducting a raid at the house on early Thursday morning. On Thursday, the police arrested Pranamoy Rajguru and Jahnabi Saikia from the Panjabari house and recovered arms and explosives.

After the grenade blast, Bijoy Asom initially fled to Puranigudam in Nagaon district in a bike driven by another ULFA cadre Indra Mohan Bora (now arrested). After reaching at Puranigudam, he fled to Golaghat by a Traveller. Since then the police has no information about Bijoy Asom. It is suspected that he must be trying to enter Myanmar via Nagaland and Arunachal Pradesh. Since Myanmar has launched an intensive operation against all extremists and fundamental elements, it might be difficult for Bijoy Asom to easily enter the neighbouring country.

Sources said Bijoy Asom was suspected to have given the responsibility of asserting the ULFA’s existence by executing a few subversive acts. Besides targeting the security personnel the recent grenade attack in Guwahati in front of a shopping mall also aimed to cause a fear psychosis among the business community towards the ULFA for extortion purpose, a police source said.

Bijoy Asom, who came to Assam from Myanmar last year with another ULFA cadre Rupam Asom, was suspected to have triggered a blast at the Panbazar area in the city during the Durga Puja in 2018. He returned to Myanmar in December last year only to come back to Assam again in February this year. He is also involved in the transportation of arms and explosives to Assam from Myanmar via Nagaland, the source said.

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