Guwahati: The Tinsukia Police on Sunday announced the unearthing of a sophisticated inter-state terror funding network. Five individuals, including a local students’ union leader and a digital journalist, have been apprehended in a coordinated operation spanning Assam and Maharashtra.
The investigation was reportedly triggered by actionable intelligence from a central agency indicating that funds extorted within the Tinsukia district were being systematically funneled to extremist entities outside the Northeast region.
The police first apprehended Debashish Gohain, a journalist associated with a news portal. His interrogation reportedly provided the missing link to the western state of Maharashtra.
During interrogation, Gohain revealed that a substantial amount of money had been transferred to Sheikh Bashir, a resident of Palghar Maharashtra, stated Additional Superintendent of Police (HQ) Mrinmoy Das and ASP (Crime) Dinesh Pratap Singh Rathore during a joint press conference. Bashir, who has a history of frequent travel to the Northeast, was arrested with the assistance of Maharashtra Police and is being brought to Assam for further questioning.
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ASP Das further revealed that money had been deposited into several other bank accounts spread across multiple states, and that teams from Tinsukia Police have already been dispatched to those locations.
Subsequent raids led to the arrests of three others including Samar Jyoti Gohain, AGS of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) central unit and a resident of Tinsukia, Deepu Chetia Patra of Jorhat and Mrityunjay Konwar of Naharkatia.
The accused have been booked under multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, the Unlawful Activities Prevention Act, the Explosive Substances Act and the Arms Act. These are linked to Tinsukia PS Case Nos. 98/2026 and 110/2026.
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“This can be termed an inter-state and international terror funding case. Sheikh Bashir had a frequent travel history to some neighbouring countries and the Northeast. His financial transactions are also highly suspicious. Only after detailed interrogation of all the accused, the exact motive behind the alleged funding network and the organisation for which the funds were being collected will become clear,” ASP Das said.
Reliable sources informed that the funds deposited in the accounts were extortion money collected on behalf of the banned outfit ULFA-Independent (Ulfa-I), with instructions to route the funds into the accounts of Bashir and others.
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