Security personnel inspect the blast site in Sivasagar on Monday. Picture by UB Photos

Jorhat, Sept. 24: One person was killed and at least eight were injured in a bicycle bomb blast suspected to have been triggered by Ulfa’s Paresh Barua faction in Sivasagar town tonight. The explosion occurred around 9pm in front of Laxmi cinema in the busy Central Market area. Several shops were damaged.

Sivasagar deputy commissioner Jatindra Lahkar said the deceased has been identified as Nirup Das, 30. He died at Sivasagar district hospital.

Lahkar said eight injured persons had been admitted to the hospitals in the district hospital and private hospitals in Sivasagar town.

The condition of three was stated to be critical.

Sivasagar superintendent of police A.K. Singh said they suspected the involvement of Ulfa and that preliminary investigation indicated that the bomb was an improvised explosive device planted on a bicycle.

Earlier in the day, Ulfa had alleged that the Sivasagar SP was involved in the “secret killing” of Manoj Konwar, 30, a human rights activist. It stated in a release that Konwar was killed because he had spoken against the “misdeeds” of the police official. Konwar’s body was recovered from Balijan Grant Ouguri village under Tingaligaon police outpost (Charaideo sub-division) of Sivasasar district on Sunday morning.

This is the second bomb blast in three days in Sivasagar district. Suspected Ulfa militants had exploded a bomb near a fuel depot in Sonari town on Friday night but no one was injured.