Bidai-Batha trying to regroup in Mas

Despite pressure from security forces, NDFB(S) setting up new camps; 343 bbed so far

BY Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, May 26: Over 340 NDFB(S) militants and their sympathizers have been arrested since the December 23 massacre in Assam, but the group’s main leaders in Assam – Bidai and Batha – are making attempts to regroup and set up new bases inside Mas tiol Park, Director General of Police Khagen Sarma said today.

He said 343 arrests have been made in the crackdown launched by security forces since December last. “Of them, 204 are active cadres and others are harbourers and linkmen. Nearly 100 weapons, 164 gredes and 62 kgs of explosives have been seized. Ten militants were also killed in encounters,” Sarma told a press conference here. He said that after security forces busted a key camp of the outfit at Ultapani, leaders like Bidai and Batha are trying to regroup and set up camps inside Mas tiol Park. “We have inputs about their movements,” the DGP said, adding that fifty additiol central paramilitary forces and the extra army reinforcements, requisitioned after the December massacre in which over 80 Adivasis were killed, continue be deployed in the State.

Sarma, however, downplayed the attempt by the Northeast outfits to form a joint forum under the banner of United tiol Liberation Front of West South East Asia (UNLFW).

“Sometimes, they (outfits) try to form new groupings. They had tried it in the past but were not successful. One particular outfit has territorial control of one particular area. Even if an operation is carried out by a single outfit, they tend to issue a joint press release under the banner of the forum, to claim responsibility,” the DGP said.

Asked about the investigations into the alleged nexus between legislator Rumi th and a car theft gang, the DGP said that she is guilty of helping a crimil. “To help a crimil is a crime,” he said.