Former BPF MLA, two others held for possessing illegal arms

Guwahati: Ex-Bodoland People’s Front (BPF) MLA Hitesh Basumatary and two others were arrested in connection with the recovery of a huge cache of illegal arms and ammunition on Saturday.
Hitesh has been an influential leader of the BPF, which ruled the Bodoland Territorial Council for three consecutive terms since 2005. He represented the Chapaguri assembly constituency in the state assembly.
“Automatic assault rifles have been recovered from Hitesh’s residence. Cases have been registered under various sections of IPC and UAPA,” Kokrajhar SP Pushpraj Singh told TOI.
The police said Basumatary was picked up from his residence in Baksa district, while two others, Daorao Drkheb, a Bodo political leader, and Bikram Daimary, a BPF member, were arrested from Kokrajhar district during operations launched almost simultaneously in the early hours on Saturday. Bikram is a resident of Udalguri district in the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) but was picked up from Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district. Daorao hails from Kokrajhar.