A loud noise in Guwahati on Sunday morning caused widespread panic among residents, coinciding with Republic Day celebrations. The sound, heard near the Brahmaputra vegetable market in the Beharbari area, led locals to rush out in alarm, though there were no reports of injuries or damage to property.
According to Assam Police officials, the source of the noise is being investigated, and local authorities are currently examining the area. A senior official from Assam Police Headquarters confirmed that the police are looking into the matter.
An employee from Brahmaputra Bazar, located close to the site of the sound, told PTI, “It was heard around 7.45 am. After we hoisted the national flag inside our compound, we heard the sound. We came running out. There was no injury or damage to any property.” While some locals speculated that a similar sound was heard in Rehabari, police dismissed it as a rumor.
Amid this, an unattended bag near the Inter-State Bus Terminal (ISBT) at Betkuchi added to the tension. Authorities quickly evacuated the area, and a thorough search was conducted by an anti-sabotage team. The bag was found to contain only clothes and ID cards, with police speculating it had been left behind mistakenly. The bag will be returned after verification of its owner.
Later in the day, the banned militant group ULFA (I) reportedly claimed responsibility for the explosions, saying they had carried out “blasts” at two locations in Guwahati. In an e-mail sent to the press, ULFA (I) stated that they had targeted areas like Lalmati and Rehabari as a warning to the public, urging them to avoid participating in future Independence Day and Republic Day events.
Guwahati Police Commissioner Parthasarathi Mahanta clarified that an investigation is ongoing to confirm the details of the sound, stating, “There was a sound, and a police team went there to check it. After investigation, we will be able to tell if miscreants were behind it.”
The city has been under tight security measures in recent days, following ULFA (I)’s call to boycott Republic Day celebrations. These measures became all the more critical after the group’s claim last year to have planted bombs across 24 locations in Assam, leading to multiple bomb scares. Police had later recovered “bomb-like substances” from several places, including four in Guwahati.
As authorities continue their investigation, residents remain on edge, and security forces are on high alert to prevent any further disturbances.
Sources By Agencies