GUWAHATI, July 23: Total confusion prevailed in Assam today with a fresh statement issued by United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA) Central Publicity Secretary Mithinga Daimari, stating that Sanjoy Ghosh, the secretary of AVARD-NE who was abducted on July 4, was alive and in custody of the outfit.

Strongly contradicting last night's statement issued in Daimari's name, today's statement, also signed by him, said the previous announcement was the handiwork of some quarter playing dirty politics with an issue concerning the life and death of a person.

Today's statement, comprising of only three sentences and written in Assamese, said the ULFA had not issued any statement declaring Ghosh as drowned in the Brahmaputra. ``In actuality, some quarter, who had no responsibility towards an issue pertaining to life and death, is behind this false claim. Sanjoy Ghosh is in the custody of ULFA and is in good health,'' it said.

Top police officials of the state refused to come on record to pass any comment on the two contradictory statements. Sources in the intelligence, on the other hand, said today's statement could be ``authentic'' in comparison to the one issued on Tuesday night. Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta was not available for comment.

Copyright © 1997 Indian Express Newspapers (Bombay) Ltd.