Guwahati:

Three people, including a top ULFA pro-talk faction leader, were arrested on Tuesday for allegedly plotting an assassination attempt on Assam Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma. A top police official said that the men were arrested after the crime branch received “a secret input” on the conspiracy hatched to “disturb the upcoming assembly election” in the state.

“On March 8, a secret input was received that ULFA peace talk faction leader Pradeep Gogoi and two others Manab Pathak and Ketu Mudi along with some unidentified members of the group conspired to assassinate Finance Minister of Assam, Dr Himanta Biswa Sharma, by using firearms and explosives, and to take action against some other political leaders in order to disturb the upcoming assembly election and to instill terror in the minds of the people of Assam,” said the police official to NDTV on condition of anonymity.

He said that the crime branch has phone call recordings as prima facie evidence against the trio.

The accused would be produced in the court and the crime branch is still looking for a few more people linked to the plot, the top official added.

Mr Sarma was with Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal in upper Assam today for the filing of latter’s nomination paper in Majuli.

The ULFA pro- talk leader, a part of a group involved in a peace talk with the centre, is a founding member of the outfit.

The pro-talk faction has not reacted to the arrests until the time of publishing this report.

A case has been filed against all three under various sections, including criminal conspiracy (IPC Section 120 B), collecting (IPC Section 122), waging war against state (IPC Section 121, 121 A) and UAPA (Section 18F).