Six students from Tinsukia district, who were allegedly planning to join Ulfa (Independent) and detained by police on Friday, were handed over to their parents after being produced before the Juvenile Justice Board on Saturday.

“They have their examinations. Let them appear in the tests first. Later, all of them will be called for counselling,” Bordumsa police station officer-in-charge Lernish Pegu told this correspondent over phone on Saturday.

The minors aged between 15 to 17, hail from Bordumsa.

A police officer said, “They were preparing to join the outfit after completing their final examinations. Based on specific information, a police team picked them up on Thursday evening. The police came to know about their plan to join Ulfa (I) through online conversations between the recruiter of the rebel group and the minors on social media.”

“Though we had sufficient evidence against them, we want them to complete their examinations as it is important for their future. We expected them to reconsider their decision but they did not. So we detained them as a preventive measure,” the police officer added.

Bordumsa and Kakopathar are known as the strongholds of Ulfa (I).

In 2018, the then officer-in-charge of Bordumsa police station, Bhaskar Kalita, had died in an encounter with Ulfa rebels.