Politicians involved in financial dealings with terrorist groups in Tripura

AGARTALA, June 23? Tripura Police stumbled into startling revelations of some prominent political leaders? involvement in the financial network of banned militant organisations. The disclosure has been made when police arrested a ?self-styled prime minister? of the proscribed NLFT Nayanbashi faction on Saturday afternoon. Acting on a specific information, West Agartala police station officers arrested Haridhan Debbarma alias David Borok from near Circuit House in the heart of the city. A former ?public relations officer? of undivided NLFT, Haridhan had surrendered with 13 militants on March 11, 1994. He was also given government employment in the agriculture department. But he never showed interest in his government job. Recently he went to Adampur camp of NLFT (Nayanbashi) in Bangladesh (Sylhet) and reportedly took over charge as the outfit?s prime minister. He, however, denied that he was involved in militancy and said he was forcibly made their prime minister without his consent. ?I was trying to initiate surrender of the NLFT-Nayanbashi group on March 19 last and went to Hatkata village in Khowai (West district) to meet them for the purpose. But from their they kidnapped me at gun point and took me to their Bangladesh camp. In the camp, Nayanbashi and two other leaders made me their prime minister. For fear of life I could not argue,? Haridhan said. Haridhan claimed that he fled from NLFT camp and reached Agartala.

Police sources, however, do not subscribe to his ?story?. They claim Haridhan was all along involved in militancy-related activities mostly money transaction after kidnapping of civilians. ?Haridhan was wanted for a specific kidnap case. One govt teacher Ananta Debbarma was kidnapped in March and Haridhan is suspected to be the kingpin,? said a police officer. The arrested NLFT man is reported to have already spelt out names of some important political leaders and officers who were also involved in utilising militants? money for various business purposes.