SULFA leader held for assault

GUWAHATI, March 3: Top SULFA leader Lohit Deuri and 12 of his accomplices, including three personal security officers, were arrested this evening for assaulting businessmen and indulging in vandalism at the Fancy Bazar. The former militant's personal security officers, provided by the government, were also disarmed by the city police. The arrested persons will be produced before a magistrate tomorrow. Police said Deuri's personal security officers and a group of SULFA members went to Fancy Bazar, ransacked some shops and beat up shopowners and employees after an altercation over money matters. Seven persons were injured as the former militants and the three securitymen went on a rampage. A shop employee received serious injuries when he was hit on the head with the butt of a weapon carried by a securitymen. The SULFA members were trying to collect the daily "fees" for the "Care Guwahati" scheme they were entrusted with by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). However, the term of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) ended on February 28 as it was undertaken on an experimental basis. Under the "Care Guwahati" scheme, the GMC had handed over ward numbers 29 and 30 to "SULFA businessmen" for their regular cleaning operations. The SULFA men were allowed to collect a daily fees of Rs 10 from bigger shops and Rs 4 from kiosks to carry out the cleaning process. The SULFA business enterprise looking after the "Care Guwahati' programme was led by Deuri, once a top ULFA leader. However, the GMC decided not extend the term of the MoU following allegations that the SULFA men were doing the job in a slip-shod manner and were also forcibly collecting much higher fees from petty traders. Deuri claimed that the GMC commissioner had "promised" to extend the MoU term and hence they were going about their business as usual. Businessman Prakash Goenka said they were unaware of any such move by the GMC. "The MoU expired last month and so we have every right not to pay the daily fees till someone is authorised to carry on the job," he added. Before his surrender on August 14 last year, Deuri was a "G2" in the ULFA's Bhutan-based general headquarters and was self-admittedly involved in procuring arms for the outfit. The SULFA has been facing a lot of flak of late for alleged highhandedness with the people. The public outcry against the former rebels reached a peak in November last year when they were accused of targeting innocent relatives of ULFA rebels. Residents of the city had come out into the streets, demanding disarming of the SULFA members. Most of them are said to be carrying illegal weapons under the pretext of self-defence.