Jorhat, June 14: Police are keeping a “close watch” on the disputed Assam-Nagaland border in Golaghat district since recently arrested Maoist sympathiser Manjit Bora corroborated intelligence reports of a Maoist plan to expand base there.

A top police source said intelligence reports indicate that Maoists have been eyeing the disputed area belt (DAB) along the inter-state border in the district since a couple of years. Cadres from Naxal-hit areas have been visiting the area from time to time to recruit youths to exploit the sentiments of people in the backward areas and to convince them to join or support Maoist activities.

“We are keeping a very close watch in the DAB area as we have been receiving information about Maoist linkmen being active there. Many persons are working overground and we are keeping an eye on them to collect hard evidence,” he added.

The source said the inter-state border, which was marked by hills and dense forests, suited insurgent activities. Naga insurgent groups, Ulfa and the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) have earlier set up hideouts in the area to escape the security dragnet.

The CRPF was deployed along the entire 125km inter-state border in Golaghat district, which falls under the disputed area belt, as a neutral force after the 1985 attack by goons from Nagaland on the Assam side, leading to several deaths.

The source said Manjit, who was arrested near Merapani, a border town in Golaghat, on Wednesday night had told interrogators that Maoists planned to build a network in the disputed area. Two cadres trained outside Assam had come to the area last year to recruit youths, who could do the groundwork after indoctrination.

Manjit, a resident of Baragharia village under Umriamghat police station in Dhansiri subdivision of Golaghat, another border area adjoining Merapani, was wanted by the police for allegedly providing shelter and guidance to two Maoist cadres, Moon Konwar and Gopi Das, last year. While Konwar and Das, who hail from Tinsukia and Lakhimpur districts in Assam, were arrested from his house in May last year, Manjit managed to flee. The two reportedly told the police that Manjit had provided them information on the border area and was guiding them to get a foothold there.

Manjit was finally arrested from the house of Sangeeta Baruah, a Maoist linkperson, at Kasamari Uttar Negheri village. Sangeeta, who was wanted in a case related to alleged Maoist activity in Tinsukia district, was handed over to Tinsukia police.

After the arrest of Konwar and Das, two more persons were arrested last year. A National Investigation Agency team arrested the owner of Merapani Jatiya Vidayalay school, Pallab Borbora, a former office-bearer of an Assam-based human rights group, Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS), on charges of having links with Maoists while the police arrested Aditya Saikia, an office-bearer of a local organisation, on similar charges.

Maoists had put up posters in Assamese on a large scale at Merapani and nearby Sarupathar towns in October last year, asking people to support the revolution.