Guwahati: The crime branch of Assam Police in a late-night operation on Friday arrested three persons from the state capital Guwahati for allegedly trying to extort money from a city-based businessman, in the name of the outlawed militant organisation United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I).


Earlier on Thursday, the crime branch received a complaint from the businessman Deba Prakash Bhagawati, a resident of the Guwahati’s Bagharbori Tiniali area under the Dispur Police station, saying he had been receiving calls from an unknown mobile phone number. He said the caller identified himself to be a member of the ULFA-I and demanded several lakhs, Commissioner of Police (CP), Guwahati, Diganta Barah said in a press statement.   


Based on the complaint lodged by Bhagawati, a case was registered at the Dispur police station under the relevant section of the Indian Penal Cause for putting a person in fear of death or of grievous hurt in order to commit extortion and the matter was immediately taken up by the crime branch, Guwahati. The crime branch along with the Dispur police soon started an investigation into the matter, CP Barah said.


The unknown person called Bhagawati again on Friday and asked him to deliver the first instalment of Rs five lakhs, as a part of the demanded money. He demanded the amount to be delivered at different locations of the city. 


Accordingly, the crime branch laid traps at the said localities of Guwahati including Borbari, Hengerabari and Swaraj Nagar. Finally, a crime branch team managed to nab three persons at around 8.45 pm from the Swaraj Nagar area when they came to collect the money, the CP added.  


The main accused have been identified as Gautam Talukdar (35), a resident of Guwahati’s Japorigog area and an electrician by profession. The other two accused were Biki Thapa (32), a resident of Panjabari area of Guwahati and an oxygen operator at a city-based private hospital and Tapan Talukdar (26), a resident of the city’s Swaraj Nagar area and a security guard with the same private hospital, CP Barah further stated.


On being interrogated, the trio confessed to the crime with the police initiating a legal action in this regard, Barah said.  


The ULFA (I) is a separatist militant outfit, operating primarily in Assam.