GUWAHATI, Dec 9 � The Enforcement Directorate (ED) probe into the incidents of money laundering in North Cachar Hills has been hitting one road block after another and on its part, the Government of Assam has also not been playing its role for facilitating the probe.
Meanwhile, it is now almost confirmed that a major portion of the funds earmarked to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council was sent abroad not only for procurement of weapons by the militants to wage war against the nation but also for acquiring properties in foreign countries.
Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that questioning of two top leaders of militant outfit DHD (J) � chairman of the outfit Jewel Garlosa and commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai, is vital for the progress of the investigation but the Enforcement Directorate (ED) has not yet been able to grill the two militant leaders. The State Government has also not been extending cooperation to the ED in this regard.
Sources said that the ED got permission from the court to question the accused of the case in the Central jail, Guwahati. But Niranjan Hojai and two others�Samir Ahmed and A Warissa staged a hunger strike in the jail and they had to be shifted to the Guwahati Medical College hospital (GMCH) for treatment. Sources said that the ED had written to the Superintendent of the GMCH to know the possible date of discharge of Hojai so that he can be questioned in connection with the case.
Sources revealed that the Superintendent of the GMCH wrote back to the ED saying that the doctors attending to Hojai had discharged him on September 21 but he is still to be shifted. The GMCH authorities further informed the ED that they had informed the Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) of Guwahati city and jail authorities about the discharge of Hojai but he is yet to be shifted to jail and is staying in a paying cabin (S-5) of the hospital. Sources said that the investigation of the case cannot progress till Hojai is grilled and the ED is not in a position to do so till he is shifted to the jail.
On the other hand, Jewel Garlosa is kept in a quarter converted into a �special jail� in the headquarter of the Special Branch of the Assam Police and ED officials have not been able to question him. With the Government not shifting Garlosa to the Central jail, the ED had to approach the court to question him in the special jail. Only on December 7, the ED got the permission from the Court to question the militant leader in the special jail within six weeks from the date of the order.
Sources said that the ED has already grilled 10 of the 14 accused in the case including RH Khan. Nine of them were questioned in the jail. But it will not be possible to complete the investigation without questioning the DHD (J) leaders, sources added.
Meanwhile, sources said that from the information gathered by the ED so far, it is apparent that Niranjan Hojai not only procured weapons from abroad but also amassed movable and immovable properties in foreign countries. He had good contacts in Nepal and even used a passport of that country to travel to other countries. If the ED manages to prove Hojai gathering properties abroad, it can also be attached under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act, sources added.
