Agartala, Jan. 30: The banned NLFT militants have stepped up their movement in interior areas of Tripura, sparking fear in the administration over the possibility of poll disruption in at least four Assembly constituencies Kanchanpur, Chhawmanu, Raima Valley and Karbook across Gomati, Dhalai and North Tipura districts.
Highly placed sources in the special branch (intelligence wing) of the state police said over the past week, three large NLFT rebel groups, comprising 15 cadres each and led by Malindra Reang, Bipan Koloi and Debasish Uchoi, have been moving in the interior villages of the four constituencies distributing tax notices and threatening people with dire consequences unless they pay up.
The NLFT is now desperate for funds because of the resource crunch in their hideouts in Bangladesh and the need to make bulk purchase of arms and ammunition for operations during the Assembly elections, a source said.
Sources said the NLFT group moving in the remote Boalkhali village under Gandacherra subdivision had stormed the residences of three shifting cultivators on Monday night and beat up their family members for failure to clear up the tax.
The information regarding the incident had reached Raisyabari police station yesterday morning and a combined force of the police and TSR jawans had reached Boalkhali but failed to track down the militants.
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