Assam: Police arrests alleged 'recruiter' Manash Chaliha amid ULFA-I spying controversy

Amid the controversy surrounding the spying at the camp of the banned militant outfit the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA-I), police have arrested the alleged 'spy recruiter' identified as Manash Chaliha. 

As per reports, Chaliha has been arrested from a hotel in West Bengal over a case of fraud that was lodged at the Dispur Police Station in Guwahati. Reports have also come in that Chaliha's statement has been taken by the police. 

Sources have stated that ever since the controversy surrounding the apprehending of an alleged spy at the ULFA-I camp broke out, Chaliha has been hiding at a hotel in West Bengal, from where finally he was apprehended and is soon to reach Guwahati. 

Chaliha has been arrested on the basis of a case of fraud, filed in 2023, where he allegedly duped a businessman of Rs 8 lakhs. Chaliha's name was revealed in the media after a video was published by the ULFA-I on social where an alleged police spy identified as Manash Borgohain stated that he had been recruited as a spy by Chaliha. 

In the last video where Borgohain, gave his statement, the alleged spy had claimed that Chaliha was the zonal head of the police's Special Branch and was engaged in recruiting men and women for spying on the ULFA-I camp. Borgohain had claimed that he had personally known Chaliha as both their girlfriends are mutual friends. Manash Borgohain had also claimed that Chaliha was engaged in giving training to the women recruits in honey trapping ULFA-I leaders at the camp. 

Chaliha, meanwhile, had shared a video on social media while hiding, where he had stated that he has been dragged into the controversy and that he was an organic farmer. He had also claimed that he is not connected to Manash Borgaohin in any way. 

However since the ULFA-I spying news had come out, reports had started coming out in the local media that Chaliha was a questionable character and maybe a fraudster as well. 

The Assam Police, in the meantime, has also claimed that Manash Borgohain is not a police spy and had also stated that Manash Chaliha is not associated with the administration in any way. 

To this, the ULFA-I has meanwhile questioned the Assam Police as to why no action has been taken against Chaliha in the light of the controversy. the ULFA-I on February 1 released a letter questioning Assam police for not taking any action against Manash Chaliha. In the letter, the banned outfit stated, "We have noticed that Chaliha made some serious allegations and insulting remarks against the ULFA (I) chief through his Facebook live yesterday and this will surely be considered." Further, the outfit in its letter stated neither the ULFA (I) chief nor any member of our organization has telephoned Manash Chaliha and there is no need to do that.

The banned militant outfit United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) on January 28 released a confessional video of Manash Borgohain, one of its members who has been suspected of spying.

The video, shared on YouTube, showed ULFA-I leaders announcing the arrest of Manash Borgohain alias Mukut Axom for 'breaching' the outfit's Constitution. 

Following his arrest, Mukut Axom through a video message confessed that he was sent by Assam state authorities to spy on ULFA-I. He revealed his work with the Special Branch of Assam Police since 2021 and his involvement in a mission to monitor ULFA-I's activities. 

In his confessional video, Mukut Axom said, “I have been working in the Special Branch of Assam Police and as a sub-inspector since 2021. My ID No is – IG8371963421. Through this Id no. you will be able to identify me as SB’s sub-inspector. I have been kept engaged in a special mission since being inducted in the Special Branch in 2021. Through that mission, I was directed to work against ULFA-I and keep a tab on the organisation’s activities. Through continued enactment and efforts to gain the trust of the members of the group, we were over a period of time able to gain the trust of the organisation.” 

“Following this, I joined ULFA-I in November. It was my mission to join ULFA-I. There was no such ideology brainwashing before joining the outfit. It was completely a mission. I was made part of the mission by Manash Chaliha and Digambar Pandey while I was directed for the mission by GP Singh, Partha Sarathi Mahanta and Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta who was the DGP in 2021," he further said in the video. 

Following this on January 31, Manash Chaliha spoke to the media said, "I don't know Manas Borgohain and have no such contact with me. I passed engineering in 2012 and have been working in several multinational companies since then till now. No one has anything to do with me whether it is the police or ULFA."

"Since 2012, I have often been out of Assam for work. Manas Borgohain claimed that I am the zonal head of SB or an officer of RAW. This is completely baseless. From 2021 to 2023 I was working outside Assam in Vijayawada and Meghalaya for work. For the last one year, I have been working with the government in Aizawl, Mizoram. Now I am planning to leave that work and do business on my own," said Chaliha. 

Manas Chaliha has alleged that he has been suffering from anxiety and insecurity since the video published by ULFA (I). The youth said he and his family members were also worried.