NIA charge-sheets top ULFA leaders for waging war against country

Charge-sheet is filed against commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and other top leaders of outfit

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday filed a charge-sheet before the Special NIA Court here against three cadres of the anti-talks faction of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for intending to wage war against the country.

The charge-sheet was filed against commander-in-chief of the anti-talk faction of the outfit Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom alias Kamruj Zaman Khan alias Nur-uz-Zaman alias Zaman Bhai alias Pradip alias Paban Baruah, the outfit's chairman, Dr. Abhijit Asom alias Dr. Abhizeet Asom alias Abhijit Barman alias Dr. Mukul Hazarika and against Gagan Hazarika alias Joydeep Cheleng.

While Gagan Hazarika is already in police custody, the two other are absconding, according to a statement from the central investigating agency.

The charge-sheet was filed under sections 17, 18, 18A, 18B and 20 of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, 1967 and under sections 121A, 124A, 120B and 385 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

A case was registered at the NIA, Guwahati, in December 2013 under various sections of the IPC as well as Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

It stated that the anti-talk faction of ULFA headed by Paresh Baruah and other members are trying to revive terrorist activities by recruiting new cadres and organising terrorist camps within as well as beyond Indian territories.

They are also resorting to extortion and kidnapping to raise funds for attacking Indian security forces and government establishments and infrastructure, thereby intending to wage war against the government of India, according to the case details.

The NIA has claimed to have collected sufficient material, technical as well as circumstantial evidence, against the accused persons during its investigation and established the allegations against each accused person.

While accused Paresh Baruah has been in Myanmar, Mukul Hazarika alias Abhijit Asom has been in the United Kingdom. They have been declared absconders and further action has been initiated.

The NIA will carry out further investigations against Drishti Rajkhowa and other senior leaders of the ULFA.

--IANS

ah/nir/bg