Top ULFA(I) Commander Rupam Asom Arrested by Tinsukia Police

Abhijit Chaliha, Guwahati: In a major breakthrough, Tinsukia police on Saturday arrested senior ULFA (Independent) commander Rupam Asom from a forested area along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border, sources confirmed. According to police sources, Rupam Asom and his team were hiding in the dense jungles near the border and were allegedly planning subversive activities. Acting on a tip-off, a special operation was launched, resulting in his arrest. Arms and ammunition were recovered from his possession during the operation. “Rupam Asom is the mastermind behind the extortion network active in the Bordumsa and Tinsukia regions. He has long been a major headache for law enforcement agencies,” a source said. Police believe that under his leadership, the extortion racket in eastern Assam had grown significantly. He is also the main suspect in the 2018 killing of Bhaskar Kalita, officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station—a case that prompted the National Investigation Agency (NIA) to charge-sheet seven ULFA (I) operatives, including Asom and Arunodoi Dahotia. “Rupam and his group were plotting something significant. Fortunately, we intercepted them before any damage could be done,” said a police source familiar with the operation. Security forces have since launched a manhunt to locate and arrest other ULFA (I) members suspected to be hiding in the area. The arrest marks a crucial step in Assam’s ongoing crackdown on insurgency and extortion in the region.