Dibrugarh: What initially sent shockwaves through Chabua in the early hours of Monday — reports of firing at the ancestral home of Ulfa (I) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah — turned out to be a false alarm.
Dibrugarh police clarified that the loud bangs which startled the Baruah household were not gunshots but firecrackers burst by a group of youths celebrating a birthday nearby.The clarification came from additional superintendent of police (crime) Atul Kumar, who visited and investigated the scene at Jerai Gaon in Chabua.According to police, the youths burst two sky-rocket firecrackers about 150 metres from the residence at 12:04am and 12:05am.
The sharp, successive sounds were mistaken for gunfire by family members inside the house. CCTV footage captured the flash of the fireworks, and the youths’ own video of the celebration corroborated the findings.“After a thorough enquiry, we confirmed that the sounds were not gunshots. The flash of the fireworks is clearly visible in the CCTV footage, and the youths had recorded the celebration on video,” said additional SP Atul Kumar.
Earlier, the incident had triggered alarm at the residence. Bipul Baruah (63), Paresh Baruah’s younger brother, who lives there with his wife and son, said he was woken by his son after hearing two loud bangs in quick succession. He checked the CCTV cameras but found nothing conclusive. The four-member Assam Police security team — three armed guards and a PSO — was alerted, and Chabua police were informed. A search of the premises found no shell casing or bullet mark.The family’s concern was understandable given the property’s violent history. The ancestral home has been attacked twice before.The first attack was on Dec 5, 2000, causing extensive damage though no injury. Empty AK-47 and 12-bore cartridges were recovered, prompting the then Congress govt under Tarun Gogoi to sanction police protection for the family.The second, more brazen assault took place on May 6, 2003, when around 15 armed gunmen opened fire on the house for nearly five minutes.
The guards retaliated, and the attackers fled. Police recovered 43 empty cartridges from the site. Two watchtowers and a six-foot concrete boundary wall were later built, and security was increased to eight personnel.“Our family has lived under constant threat since 1990. The walls still bear AK-47 bullet marks. The number of guards has changed over the years — now down to four — but the danger remains. In 1994, unidentified gunmen abducted my younger brother Dinesh Baruah; his bullet-riddled body was found later,” Bipul Baruah said.Assam Police have guarded the residence continuously for the past 26 years.
