Guwahati, June 14: The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet against three individuals associated with the banned insurgent group United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) for their alleged involvement in planting improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in Guwahati during the 2024 Independence Day celebrations.

The accused — Paresh Baruah, Abhijit Gogoi, and Jahnu Boruah — have been charged under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UA(P) Act), and the Explosive Substances Act.

The charges were filed on Friday after an extensive investigation into the terror plot aimed at destabilising the region and spreading panic among the public, the NIA said in a statement on Saturday.

According to the NIA, the trio was linked to an IED planted at Dispur Last Gate, Guwahati, in what was part of a larger ULFA-I conspiracy to execute multiple IED blasts across Assam.

The group aimed to disrupt Independence Day celebrations and instil fear through coordinated acts of terror.

“The trio were found linked with the IED planted by the terror outfit at Dispur Last Gate, Guwahati, Assam, as part of the ULFA (I) conspiracy to trigger multiple IED blasts across Assam, including at Dispur Last Gate, to disrupt the I-Day celebrations last year,” the NIA stated.

The NIA had taken over the case in September 2024. Its investigation found that the planted IEDs were intended to cause death, injuries, and property damage, with the broader objective of threatening India’s unity, integrity, security, and sovereignty.

“The IEDs had been planted to cause death/injuries to persons and/or loss/damage/destruction to property, with the intent to threaten the unity, integrity, security and sovereignty of India, and to strike terror among the people of the country,” the NIA added.

Further investigations into the case are currently ongoing.

The 2024 Independence Day celebrations in Assam were clouded by serious security concerns after ULFA-I sent emails to several media outlets in the state, claiming to have planted bombs in 24 different locations.

The emails provided the precise locations of 19 IEDs, while details for the remaining five were not disclosed.

As a precaution, security forces and police personnel who were previously deployed for parades and ceremonial duties were reassigned to assist in the search for explosives.

Bomb disposal squads were also rushed to various sites to detect and neutralise the threats.

ULFA-I claimed in its emails that the devices would not detonate due to a “technical fault” and even appealed to the public to help locate them.

However, security agencies took no chances and launched an intensive operation across the state.

The Assam Police recovered 11 IEDs from multiple locations.

Among them, four explosive devices were found in high-risk areas of Guwahati, including Pan Bazar, Dispur, Gandhi Mandap, and Satgaon.

None of the IEDs detonated, and no injuries were reported.

On September 21, 2024, the Assam Police and NIA jointly arrested 15 individuals, including three women, from various locations across the state in connection with the planting of IEDs.

Later in December, the agency arrested a key ULFA-I operative tied to the same case.

New Delhi, June 14: Civil Aviation Minister Ram Mohan Naidu will chair a high-level meeting on air safety at the ministry office on Saturday. The meeting comes in the wake of the tragic crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which was en route from Ahmedabad to London’s Gatwick Airport on June 12.

The crash claimed the lives of at least 241 people. Only one individual is reported to have survived the crash.

The meeting, scheduled for 10:30 a.m., will be attended by the Civil Aviation Secretary, the Director General of the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA), officials from the Airports Authority of India, and other senior officials from related departments.

The Ministry of Civil Aviation also announced the formation of a high-level multi-disciplinary committee to examine the causes behind the devastating crash of the Boeing 787-8 Dreamliner.

According to the ministry, the committee will review the circumstances leading to the accident and assess the current Standard Operating Procedures (SOPs) and safety guidelines in civil aviation.

The ministry stated that the committee’s mandate will be to recommend a comprehensive framework for preventing and managing similar aviation incidents in the future.

Taking to X, the Ministry of Civil Aviation said, “The Committee will not be a substitute to other enquiries being conducted by relevant organisations but will focus on formulating SOPs for preventing and handling such occurrences in the future.”

The crash occurred just minutes after take-off from Ahmedabad airport when the aircraft lost altitude and spiralled into a medical college hostel located in a densely populated residential area. Many are feared killed and injured on the ground as the aircraft had burst into a ball of fire as it was carrying a lot of fuel for the long-haul flight.

Prime Minister Narendra Modi visited the crash site on Friday and met with survivors undergoing treatment at the Ahmedabad Civil Hospital.

A team of 70-80 doctors is conducting post-mortem examinations to identify the deceased.

A formal investigation is underway to determine the cause of the crash. Forensic experts are examining the wreckage, and aviation authorities have launched a comprehensive probe to ascertain the factors that led to the fatal incident.

New Delhi, June 13: Following the devastating crash of Air India Flight AI-171 in Ahmedabad, which claimed 241 lives, Congress leader Udit Raj has launched a scathing attack on the aviation safety system in India, claiming that a Director at the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) holds a fake degree and that oversight failure led to the tragedy.

Speaking to media, Udit Raj said, “DGCA director’s degree is fake. Such incidents are bound to happen when people with fake degrees are clearing safety standards. Sikkim University has stated that his degree is forged. A PIL has also been filed in the High Court. When such people sit in key positions in civil aviation, accidents are inevitable.”

The Congress leader expressed sorrow for the victims but questioned the government’s response and accountability: “This is an extremely tragic incident. My condolences are with the families of the deceased. But when the Home Minister simply calls it an ‘accident,’ it raises serious concerns. Should we now expect such accidents to become routine? There are ways to prevent them.”

He further stated that the government has failed to act despite red flags: “When the civil aviation director, responsible for safety, is sitting with a fake degree and no action is taken, it’s obvious why such tragedies occur. Even after a PIL was filed, the official was protected.”

Raj also criticised the political double standards, adding: “If the Congress were in power today, the BJP would have demanded the resignation of the Prime Minister himself. At the very least, the Civil Aviation Minister’s resignation would be called for. But we are not politicising this, we stand with the grieving families.”

The Air India Dreamliner had taken off from Ahmedabad on June 12 en route to Gatwick, London, but crashed moments later into a residential area, making it one of the worst aviation disasters in recent memory.

In addition to the 241 lives lost in the crash, many people died in the area where the ill-fated plane fell. The government has launched a probe into the tragic incident.