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.

Jaipur, June 12: The Enforcement Directorate (ED) launched a massive crackdown on Thursday in connection with a Rs 2,700 crore money laundering case involving a real estate scheme. The ED conducted raids at approximately 24 locations across Delhi, Rajasthan and Gujarat.

According to agency sources, the ongoing investigation is linked to a large-scale financial fraud related to a real estate scheme named Red Nexa Evergreen.

In Rajasthan, ED teams carried out operations in cities including Jaipur, Jodhpur, Sikar, and Jhunjhunu.

Simultaneous raids were also conducted in Ahmedabad (Gujarat) and parts of Delhi. The crackdown is being executed under provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act (PMLA).

The Red Nexa Evergreen project reportedly lured investors with promises of high returns or property allocations — either flats, land, or premium rates after a fixed tenure.

Allegations suggest that a significant number of investors were duped in the process.

Rajasthan Police had earlier registered an FIR against multiple individuals involved in the fraudulent scheme.

The ED’s investigation aims to uncover the financial trail and identify key beneficiaries of the scam. More details are expected to emerge as the search operations continue. Around 24 places are being raided in Rajasthan and Gujarat and Delhi.

The investors in this project were lured to invest their money till a particular time and told that they can get plots and flats in return for their investments.

However investors were duped as none of the promises were allegedly fulfilled.

In the end the frustrated investors filed many FIRs in this regard.

The raids have been conducted keeping money laundering in mind, said officials.

Once the search operation is done, action will be taken against those involved in the fraud.

Rajasthan police were acting in the matter till now, however now that the ED has come into the picture, fresh facts are expected to come out soon in the case, said sources.

Shillong, June 11: Sonam Raghuvanshi, the prime accused in the sensational murder of her husband Raja Raghuvanshi during their honeymoon in Meghalaya, has confessed to her role in the crime during interrogation, sources told media on Wednesday.

According to the sources, Sonam admitted to orchestrating the murder when she was questioned by the Special Investigation Team (SIT) earlier in the day.

Her confession was also formally recorded in front of officials from the Meghalaya Police, confirming her direct involvement in the crime, the sources said.

Earlier in the day, five accused — Sonam Raghuvanshi, her alleged boyfriend Raj Kushwaha, Anand Kurmi, Akash Rajput, and Vishal Singh Chauhan — were produced in a Shillong court following detailed interrogation by the SIT.

Police officials revealed that the three alleged contract killers — Akash, Anand, and Vikash — travelled from Indore to Shillong in separate phases to avoid drawing attention.

Their movement was traced through CCTV footage, train ticket bookings, and Aadhaar card photocopies, which helped authorities confirm their identities and track their route to Meghalaya.

According to investigators, the killers joined the couple on a trek on May 23, disguising themselves as fellow tourists.

Albert Pde, a local guide, informed the police that he had offered assistance to the group but was turned down.

He also noted that the group was conversing in Hindi and deliberately opted for a remote and rugged trekking trail, away from the popular tourist area of the Double Decker Living Root Bridge.

Sonam Raghuvanshi was arrested after she surrendered at the Nandganj police station in Uttar Pradesh’s Ghazipur district in the early hours of Monday.

Her surrender followed days of intense pressure mounted by a coordinated, multi-state police operation involving law enforcement agencies from Meghalaya, Uttar Pradesh, and Madhya Pradesh.

According to the police, Sonam plotted her husband’s murder and hired contract killers to execute the plan while on their honeymoon.

The other accused were nabbed during a series of raids conducted by police teams across Madhya Pradesh.