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Guwahati : A special court of National Investigating Agency (NIA) in Guwahati on Monday pronounced all 15 accused including former militants, government officials, elected representatives and contractors as guilty in the first two cases registered by the anti-terror probe agency, which related to siphoning off the multi-crore rupees government funds and diverting it to the coffers of the now disbanded militant group Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel).
Special judge of the NIA court Rabin Phukan had pronounced 13 accused in the first case and 2 in the second guilty of the all charges.
The court would decide on the quantum punishment of both cases on May 23.
According to the reports, one accused of the first case was died during the hearing process.
NIA had registered two cases (RC-01/2009 and RC-02/2009) at its Delhi headquarter in Jun 2009 following directives by the Union Home Ministry.
The anti-terror probe agency had registered its first case in the country on June 5, 2009 following took over the investigation of FIR no 170/2009 of Basistha police station in Guwahati and registered its second case on same day after took over the investigation of FIR no 03/2009 of Diyungmukh police station in Dima Hasao district.
The investigation agency had already filed chargesheets in both cases and there were a total of 15 accused in the first case of whom 10 are in judicial custody, three out on bail and one had released after serving sentence.
In the second case, two are in judicial custody out of 16 accused persons.
The anti-terror probe agency had registered the first case after the Assam police apprehended two persons namely Phojendra Hojai and Babul Kemprai and recovered cash amount of Rs 1 crore along with two pistols and letter from their possession. The money had been siphoned from the development funds alloted to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council in connivance with the contractors and other government servants and was being sent to militant group DHD (J) for procurement of arms and ammunition for waging war against the state. During investigation, eight numbers of M-16 rifle made in Singapore, one 9 mms pistol baretta, 12 walkie-talkie sets with chargers and one telescope Bushnell were also recovered.
In the second case, the anti-terror probe agency said in their chargesheet that, some persons, workers of NC Hills Autonomous Council were going hand over huge amount of money to DHD (J) militants somewhere between Haflong to Diyungmukh for the purpose of procuring arms and ammunition and for promoting terrorist activities with a view to wage war against the state, Assam police stopped and checked a Scorpio vehicle bearing registration number AS-08-5133 in which Golon Daulagpu, Jibangshu Paul were traveling and recovered cash amounting of Rs 32.11 lakh from their possession. During investigation, five numbers of M-16 rifle, three numbers of SLR rifle and other weapons were also recovered.
NIA had already submitted chargesheets in both cases and included former DHD (J) leaders and present members of the Council Jewel Garlosa alias Mihir Barman, Niranjan Hojai, Redaul Hussain Khan, Mohit Hojai, Babul Kemprai, Phojendra Hojai, Partho Warisa, Vanlalchhana, Malsawmkimi, Debasish Bhattacharya, Sandip Kumar Ghosh, Karuna Saikia, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, George Lawmthang, Golon Daulagupu, Jibangshu Paul, Samir Ahmed as accused persons.
Among the accused, George Lawmthang was died during hearing process, while Samir Ahmed was released after serving sentence.
Following pronounce by the court in the terror related cases, former DHD (J) leader and present BJP leader Niranjan Hojai, Jewel Garlosa and contractor Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, those were earlier granted interim bail were sent to the judicial custody.
On the other hand, BJP's Assam unit leader and lawyer Bijon Mahajan on Monday said that, they will move to the high court against the NIA's special court pronouncement against Niranjan Hojai.
(Reporting by Hemanta Kumar Nath)
