Editor
Diphu, Assam - 31 October, 2023: In a significant operation conducted under the leadership of Inspector JS Khobung, O/c Diphu Police Station, alongside IS Debo Konwar and personnel from the Assam Police Battalion, two individuals were apprehended in the early hours of 30 October 2023 in Dikrenglangso area, under the jurisdiction of Diphu Police Station, in the Karbi Anglong district of Assam. The operation resulted in the arrest of Harlongbi Engti, self-styled leader and president of the United Karbi People's Front Liberation (UKPEL), who also goes by the name M Kathar, and Sarmon Hanse, who is known as Chesong Ingjai and serves as the secretary of UKPEL.
In addition to their arrests, the police seized various items from the apprehended individuals. These items included two mobile handsets, two mobile batteries, a money purse, an earphone, a cable wire, burnt metal remains of a keypad phone that had been utilized for extortion purposes, and a motorcycle bearing registration number AS 09H-9884 (Pulsar).
During the subsequent interrogation, both Kathar and Ingjai confessed to their involvement in the formation of an extremist group, operating under the name 'United Karbi People's Front Liberation' (UKPFL). Shockingly, it was revealed that they had served a demand letter, composed on UKPEL's letterhead, to a teacher residing in Ronghingchong, Diphu. This demand letter had reached the teacher on October 17, 2023, and it stipulated that the extortionists were demanding a sum of Rs 7 lakhs. The purpose of this unlawful demand was purportedly for acquiring arms and funds for their organization.
In light of these revelations and the criminal activities of the arrested individuals, a case has been registered at the Diphu Police Station under case number 110/2023, in accordance with Section 387 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC). This operation serves as a testament to the proactive measures taken by law enforcement agencies to ensure the safety and security of the community in the Karbi Anglong district.