‘You don’t have to pay. I am here, police is here’: Assam CM on KLO’s extortion notice to traders in Kokrajhar

"If anyone wants to pay the amount demanded by any group, that is their decision. I have no stance on the matter," said CM Sarma

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma today responded to the Kamtapur Liberation Organization (KLO), a banned terrorist group’s extortion notice to traders in Kokrajhar demanding Rs. 5 lakh and said the traders does not have to pay KLO anything.

Talking to the media, CM Sarma said that the state police, the government, and he himself is there, so nobody need to pay the demanded sum. It is as simple as that.

“If anyone wants to pay the amount demanded by any group, that is their decision. I have no stance on the matter, but if someone feels they do not want to consider such demands, they do not have to pay. Now in Assam, nobody will bother them,” CM Sarma added.

It may be mentioned here that at least 10 businessmen in Assam’s Kokrajhar district received extortion notice demanding Rs 5 lakh within 10 days from KLO on March 17.

According to reports, several businessmen received letters from the banned organisation on their letterhead, and several traders even received messages from Bangladesh demanding payment.

Up to 10 traders in Gurufela near Gossaigaon have reportedly received the extortion notes, but many more remain unreported, said a trader.

As per the extortion note, KLO has been waging a war to liberate Kamatapur as well as the region since 1993. Therefore the traders have been asked to contribute or donate a sum of Rs. 5,00,000.00 only towards the revolutionary or war fund of the organisation within 1O days.

Earlier, speaking exclusively to Northeast Live on the matter, ASP Kokrajhar Nabanita Sharma said, “We have assured them of their safety and promised to take swift action against to take swift action against those responsible for such criminal activities”.

Further, ASP Kokrajhar Nabanita Sharma informed that investigation is going on and reports of different sources are being verified.

Copy edited by Lipika Roy 

Also Read: Kokrajhar traders receive extortion notice of Rs 5 lakhs from KLO

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