ULFA leader Chetia wants to return to India: daily

ULFA leader Anup Chetia, now in a Bangladesh jail, has reportedly expressed a desire to return to India where he is wanted for murder, abduction and extortion, bdnews24.com reported Friday.

An Indian diplomat, identified as J.P. Singh, reportedly met Chetia at the Kashimpur High Security Central Jail Thursday, the report said. Asked if he was interested in repatriation to India, Chetia said "yes".

Jailor Jannatul Farhad was quoted as saying that the Indian diplomat spoke to Chetia in the presence of jail superintendent Md Mizanur Rahman.

"During the 45-minute discussion, Chetia said he was interested (in going) back to India if there were no legal complications," bdnews24.com said.

A prominent leader of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Chetia was arrested Dec 21, 1997 in Mohammadpur area here.

He was sentenced to three, four and seven years in jail for illegally entering Bangladesh, possessing a forged Bangladeshi passport and foreign currency, and for having a satellite phone respectively.

His prison term ended Feb 25, 2007 and he has been kept at the Kashimpur prison since 2012.

Paresh Barua, who heads the outfit's military wing and is said to be in hiding in Bangladesh, is opposed to peace talks between the Indian government and ULFA.

Barua faces death penalty in Bangladesh for his involvement in trying to smuggle 10 truckloads of weapons into Chittagong in 2004.