Family takes back Tapan's body

DIBRUGARH, May 22 ? Family members and friends of the senor leader of the outlawed ULFA, Tapan Baruah alias Madan Das today took charge of the body at the Assam Medical College here. The family members, accompanied by others from Tapan?s native Balikuchi village near Nalbari arrived here in a bus. The body was taken to Tinsukia this afternoon in connection with some legal formalities, before being transported to Nalbari. Tapan?s elder brother, Biren Das completed the formalities. Biren, a grocery shop owner, said Tapan was the fourth in the family?s six siblings, which included five sons and a daughter. He said Tapan left home 14 years ago to join the ULFA. The youngster was earlier a good footballer and was even with the RSS for some time. Tapan was killed on Monday morning at Doomdooma Majgaon near Pengeri in Tinsukia district by troops of the Second Mountain Division, following a tip-off regarding his hideout. His body was brought to the AMC here for post-mortem examination. Reporters here saw that his body bore six bullet holes: three on the back, and one each on the right eye, forehead and skull. He was brutally killed, especially in the light of ?eyewitness accounts? that he was running away from the troops while he was fired at. Said to be number three in the ULFA military hierarchy, Tapan?s death has caused a serious setback to the proscribed outfit. At the time of his ?encounter death?, Tapan was commanding the outfit?s feared ?28 battalion?.