GUWAHATI: Within 24 hours of surrender of his deputy Drishti Rajkhowa alias Monoj Rabha, Ulfa-I commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah replaced him with Michael ‘Asom’ Dekaphukan, aka, Joy Chandra Das. “This quick move by Paresh Baruah is to make a statement to security forces that Drishti’s exit has not crippled the outfit,” a security source said.
Dekaphukan hails from Amlaga village in Sonitpur district and is in-charge of the outfit’s camp in Myanmar’s Sagaing division. Rajkhowa, who formally laid down arms at the Army’s 21 Division headquarters at Rangiya on Thursday is currently in custody of Assam Police.
The Army, in a statement, said in its drive for a terror-free Assam and Meghalaya by Unified Command, the Indian Army deployed its forces in Rangia following inputs from intelligence agencies, Assam Police and Meghalaya Police, and carried out ‘Operation Malakand’ on November 10, which resulted in the surrender of Drishti along with four other cadres.
Paresh Baruah said his deputy surrendered before authorities with approval of the outfit’s leadership on humanitarian grounds so that he can take care of his wife as she has cancer and their two minor children who live in Bangladesh.