Chetia's deportation a major breakthrough: Rijiju

Minister of State for Home Affairs Kiren Rijiju on Wednesday dubbed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leader Anup Chetia's deportation to India as a major breakthrough which would help in cracking many important cases.

"This is a major breakthrough that the Bangladesh Government has decided to hand over ULFA leader Anup Chetia to India. This will lead to cracking of many cases, would like to thank Bangladesh Prime Minister and the government for finally heeding to our demands" Rijiju told ANI here.

"This has been a long standing demand of ours that Anup Chetia be handed over to India and lastly it has become a reality. Anup Chetia is a senior leader of ULFA and his custody would mean that we can crack some of important cases in which investigation is going on," he added.

When asked if the investigation would be done by the Central agency, Rijiju said that the case would be investigated by both the central agency and Assam Police.

"Because there are many cases against him but most of the cases are north-east based," he added.

Responding on a question of Chetia being brought to Delhi for investigation, Rijiju said that it was for the agencies to decide.

Bangladesh has handed over Chetia to India, almost 18 years after his arrest in a passport forgery case.

Chetia, a founding member of ULFA and its general secretary, is wanted for murder, abductions and extortion cases in India.

He had sought political asylum in Bangladesh thrice in 2005, 2008 and in 2011 after Bangladesh Police arrested him in December 1997. Chetia was subsequently handed seven years of jail terms by two courts for cross-border intrusion, carrying fake passports and illegally keeping foreign currencies.

Despite the expiry of his term, Chetia was in jail under a 2003 High Court directive asking authorities to keep him in safe custody until a decision was taken on his asylum plea.