Ulfa- I denies report on Phukan being gen secy

■ ‘ People are being misinformed by rumours’ ◗ Ulfa- I leader Paresh Baruah’s 24- year- old nephew has also joined the outfit based in Myanmar along with another youth

Amid the report of fresh recruitments, the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom ( Independent) on Monday denied the news of appointing Ulfa chief Paresh Baruah’s childhood friend Rebati Phukan as general secretary of the organisation.

Mr Phukan who acted as interlocutor between the Ulfa- I and government earlier has been missing from his residence since April 22 this year. The report is local newspaper claimed that Mr Phukan has been appointed as the permanent general secretary of Ulfa- I and as per the outfit’s norms, Mr Phukan has taken an organisational name as Jyotisman Asom alias RP alias Agni.

However, Ulfa- I in a press statement has not clarified if Mr Phukan has joined the outfit or not. It said that no one has been appointed to the post of general secretary. People are being misled by rumours, the e- mail said.

It is significant that UlfaI leader Paresh Baruah’s 24- year- old nephew has also joined the outfit based in Myanmar along with another youth. Police said the duo reported to the outfit’s hideout in Arunachal on Thursday.

Mr Barua’s nephew, Munna Barua, who has very good educational record and topped his diploma course in electoral engineering from his institute had joined Indian Oil Corporation at Digboi last December as an apprentice. Munna went with another youth from Dibrugarh, Abhijit Gogoi, who is US- returned computer engineer and was working in Bangalore.

“We have confirmed it that Paresh Barua’s nephew has joined Ulfa ( I),” Tinsukia district superintendent of police Mugdhajyoti Mahanta told reporters.

Sources said that Ulfa ( I)’ s assistant finance secretary Pranomoy ‘ Asom’, is looking after recruitment of fresh and young blood.