Dibrugarh, Assam, May 24, 2025 – In a significant breakthrough, Tinsukia police arrested Rupam Asom, a top commander of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I), on Saturday from the dense jungles along the Assam-Arunachal Pradesh border. The arrest, part of an intelligence-led operation, marks a major blow to the militant group, as Rupam Asom is the prime suspect in the 2018 killing of Assam police officer Bhaskar Kalita. Arms and ammunition were also recovered during the raid, according to sources cited by NDTV and NewsX.
The operation targeted Rupam Asom and his team, who were hiding in a jungle near the border, reportedly planning militant activities. “Rupam Asom and his team were hiding in the jungle area of the Assam-Arunachal border and planning some activities. The police team received input regarding his presence and launched an operation to nab him,” a police source told Northeast Now. Alongside his role in the 2018 ambush, Asom is accused of running an extortion network targeting local businesses in Tinsukia and eastern Assam, spreading fear in the region.
Bhaskar Kalita, the officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station, was killed on May 4, 2018, during a fierce encounter with ULFA-I militants in Kujupathar village, Tinsukia. Leading a joint team of Assam Police and CRPF’s Cobra battalion, Kalita was hit by nine bullets, two piercing his bulletproof vest, raising questions about the vest’s quality. The Hindu reported that the militants used sophisticated Israeli Tavor X95 rifles, a departure from their usual weaponry. The National Investigation Agency (NIA), which took over the case in 2019, chargesheeted seven ULFA-I members, including Rupam Asom and Arunodoi Dahotia, for the murder.
ULFA-I’s commander-in-chief, Paresh Baruah, expressed regret over Kalita’s death in 2018, claiming the group fired in self-defense and did not intend to target Assam Police, as their fight was against “occupational India.” The Hindu quoted Baruah saying, “Our boys did not intend to kill Bhaskar Kalita, who was a son of the soil.” Despite this, the incident, which left Kalita’s family devastated, underscored ULFA-I’s violent operations in Assam.
Rupam Asom’s arrest follows a pattern of setbacks for ULFA-I, with prior blows including the 2019 arrest of cadre Tiger Asom, also linked to Kalita’s killing, and the 2021 death of commander Dwipen Saud in a separate encounter. Police have launched a manhunt for other ULFA-I members in the border region, aiming to dismantle the group’s network, which has been weakened by surrenders and Myanmar’s military crackdowns on rebel camps. Social media reactions on X reflect local relief, with users like @AssamNewsLive praising the police for curbing ULFA-I’s influence.
The arrest is a critical step in addressing ULFA-I’s activities, which have included extortion and recruitment in Upper Assam. As investigations continue, authorities hope to disrupt the group’s financial and operational networks, bringing justice for Kalita’s killing and stability to the region.