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MD's 'letter' to ULFA chief puts Tata Tea in further trouble

The alleged Tata Tea-United Liberation Front of Asom nexus acquired a fresh twist with the publication of a letter Tata Tea managing director R K Krishna Kumar wrote to ULFA commander Paresh Barua in Assamese newspapers on Sunday.

According to the letter, a photocopy of which was also printed in the newspapers, Krishna Kumar wrote to Barua on June 20, 1996, informing him about the medical scheme Tata Tea had set up for the Assamese people.

According to the letter, Krishna Kumar said Tata Tea had decided to deposit Rs 500,000 in the Tata Memorial Hospital, Bombay, Sankar Netralaya, Madras, and B M Birla Heart Centre, Calcutta, for the medical scheme.

'Patients refereed by you to our Guwahati office (only one or two specific individuals will screen and handle these cases) will be provided necessary medical care,' Krishna Kumar's purported letter said.

Meanwhile, the Assam police have arrested another state government official, Pradeep Kumar Anonz, for allegedly funding the extremists. With Anonz's arrest, seven Assamese government officials have been detained so far for their alleged links with extremist organisations. All of them had worked at the infamous Srirampur checkgate on the Assam -Bengal border, one of the primary sources of funds for the extremists.

More than 70 forest and transport officials have so far secured anticipatory bail from the Guwahati high court, fearing arrest. Anonz has been remanded to seven days in judicial custody.

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