ULFA militant, aide held in Meghalaya


Shillong, July 28 (IANS) A militant of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and an aide of the group were arrested in separate incidents Wednesday by Border Security Force (BSF) troopers along the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya, officials said.

“Columbus M. Marak, a hardcore ULFA, was detained from Hathimara village while trying to infiltrate into India from Bangladesh,� BSF spokesman Ravi Gandhi said.

In a separate incident, an aide of the outfit, Golzim A. Sangma, was arrested from Mahendraganj.

Hathimara and Mahendraganj are border villages located along the India-Bangladesh border in western Meghalaya under the West Garo Hill district.

In March 2008, Columbus escaped from Tura jail in Meghalaya as he was facing extortion charges in the Garo hills region. He was also engaged in extortion in Jorabat area on the Assam-Meghalaya border, the BSF official said.

ULFA operates in northeastern India's Assam and Meghalaya and uses Bangladesh territory as a sanctuary.

Meghalaya shares a 443-km border with Bangladesh, part of which is porous, hilly and unfenced and prone to frequent infiltration.