GUWAHATI, Oct 6 � With the Government of Assam planning to facilitate release of the jailed leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) in phased manner to pave the way for talks, the senior leaders of the militant outfit have started filing bail petitions and two such petitions will be heard by the court tomorrow.
Among the jailed central committee members of the ULFA, two are already out on bail and if the process to initiate talks with the outfit progresses as per expected lines, the other senior leaders may be bailed out in the days to come. The vice chairman of the ULFA, Pradeep Gogoi and the central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary are already out in bail as the Government did not oppose their bail petitions.
Official sources pointed out that the Government cannot directly release the jailed leaders of the ULFA, but it can facilitate their release on bail by not opposing the bail petitions.
Sources said that the deputy commander in chief of the ULFA, Raju Baruah, who was arrested in Bangladesh along with the chairman of the outfit, Arabinda Rajkhowa last year as well as ULFA adviser Bhimkanta Buragohain alias Mama, who was arrested during the operation All Clear in Bhutan in 2003, have already applied for bail, while, the cultural secretary of the outfit, Pranati Deka is likely to file bail petition within a day or two.
Raju Baruah has nine cases against him, of which three are under the provisions of the TADA. Sources said that Baruah was already granted bail in four cases under the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the bail application in connection with a charge sheet filed by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) would be heard tomorrow. The bail application in connection with the TADA cases against him will be heard on October 11, sources added. Meanwhile, the bail application of Mama will be heard tomorrow.
