Police under the supervision of DGP Kuladhar Saikia are carrying out investigation to find out the whereabouts of Rebati Phukan, a member of the People’s Consultative Group (PCG) formed by the ULFA in 2005, who has been missing for last 21 days.
“A probe headed by DGP Kuladhar Saikia is being conducted to trace Phukan. The City Police Commissioner is also look into the matter,” Special DGP Pallab Bhattacharyya told reporters on the side-lines of a programme in Guwahati on Sunday.
Phukan, a former footballer and childhood friend of ULFA (I) chief Paresh Barua, went missing from Guwahati on April 22. Phukan, who was staying alone at a rented accommodation at Ambikagiri Nagar area of the city, had gone for his morning walk but didn’t return home.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal on April 26 had directed Assam police to find out the whereabouts Phukan. Earlier Phukan’s son, Kaushik Phukan, told reporters that his father could have become “a victim” for his efforts to bring Barua to the negotiation table.
“My father has been trying to facilitate talks between ULFA and the government for a long time. He had visited Bangladesh, China and Myanmar between 2007 and 2015 and met Barua towards this end. For the past three months, he had been working on the clauses of a document which would have been acceptable to the ULFA (I) leader to initiate negotiations,” he said.
Phukan’s family members alleged that he might be kidnapped by the sleuths of intelligence agency as he was in close contact with ULFA (I) c-in-c Baruah. Pro-talk ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa on Wednesday visted the residence of Phukan in Guwahati.