Tension gripped a village in Assam’s Dibrugarh district after gunshots were reported near the ancestral residence of Paresh Baruah, chief of the proscribed outfit ULFA(I).
According to family members, two rounds of blank fire were heard shortly after midnight near the house in Jerai Gaon. Bimal Baruah claimed that despite the gunfire, no suspicious activity was captured on CCTV cameras installed in the area.
Alleging that the act may have been intended to disturb law and order, the family informed the local Chabua Police Station about the incident. Police officials confirmed that an investigation has been initiated to ascertain the circumstances surrounding the firing.
The incident comes within days of the return of Arunodoi Dohotia, also known as ‘Arunodoi Asom’, a former close associate of Paresh Baruah. Dohotia had surrendered earlier and reportedly returned to his residence in the same locality after spending time in militant camps in Myanmar.
Authorities are examining whether there is any connection between the two developments, though no official link has been established so far.
ULFA(I), led by Paresh Baruah, remains the only major insurgent group in Assam that has not entered into peace negotiations with the government. Security agencies are maintaining heightened vigilance in the region as investigations continue.
