All suspects entrusted with carrying out blasts in four major locations of Assam, including the one that occurred in Bokakhat last week, have been arrested by the police and the grenades meant for the purpose recovered from them, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Friday.
The 'key person' involved with the plan is still absconding, though the police have his whereabouts and he will be nabbed soon, Sarma said.
Two motorcycle-borne miscreants had lobbed a grenade at a CRPF camp at Bokakhat on June 24, injuring three police personnel who were inmates of the camp.
Addressing a press conference in Guwahati, Sarma said, "The plan was to carry out blasts in Bokakhat, Guwahati, Tezpur and Lakhimpur. The police have arrested all those who were to carry out these blasts."
The three remaining grenades meant for the blasts and a pistol have been recovered from houses of the accused, he said.
Maintaining that 'criminal-minded' people were behind the plan and attack rather than militants, Sarma said, "Further inquiry is on to determine who instigated these persons to carry out the attacks. They are giving conflicting statements at the moment."
He said those arrested are apparently not members of any militant organisation, though one of them had been with the ULFA but was jailed for a long period.
"These are criminal-minded people, one has been jailed in cattle lifting related case, another in drugs case, etc. Operations are still going on. One person, who was the key in this, is yet to be arrested. He is not in Assam, but we know his whereabouts," Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, added.
To a question if such blast could lead to bringing back AFSPA, the chief minister said, "AFSPA is not related to sporadic incident. It is used in case of prolonged insurgency. It is also out of our state and we will do nothing to bring it back."
The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act is currently in force in the three districts of Tinsukia, Charaideo and Sivasagar.
© 2025