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NIA chargesheet against ULFA-I bigwigs

By R Dutta Choudhury

GUWAHATI, July 15 - The National Investigation Agency (NIA) is likely to start extradition proceedings against United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) chairman Dr Abhizeet Asom and the outfit�s commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah so that they can be tried for waging war against the country.

Highly placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the extradition process would start immediately after the court issues non-bailable warrant against them on the basis of the chargesheet submitted against them by the NIA.

The NIA investigation also revealed that United Kingdom-based Dr Mukul Hazarika is the ULFA(I) chairman Dr Abhizeet Asom and laid to rest the speculations about the real identity of the chief of the outfit. Sources revealed that it should not be difficult to get Dr Hazarika extradited from the United Kingdom as the NIA has obtained details of his whereabouts, including details of his passport. As he is allegedly involved in extremist activities, it would be easier for the Government of India to persuade the British government to hand him over, sources added.

Similarly, an Interpol red corner notice was also issued against Paresh Baruah in the past. But he has not yet been apprehended as he constantly shifts his base between Myanmar and China. However, Baruah is not in a position to go to Bangladesh again as he was declared an accused in an arms haul case with the courts in that country already awarding death penalty against him.

The NIA today filed a chargesheet against Dr Mukul Hazarika alias Dr Abhizeet Asom alias Dr Abhijit Barman and Paresh Baruah alias Paresh Asom alias Kamruj Zaman Khan alias Nur Uz Zaman alias Zaman Bhai alias Pradip alias Plaban Baruah and declared them as absconders. The third person chargesheeted in the case is Gagan Hazarika, who has been arrested.

The NIA took up a suo moto case against the ULFA(I) (case number RC-04-2013) and the chargesheet of the case was filed before the special NIA court today. However, the NIA also submitted a prayer before the court to continue investigation against Drishti Rajkhowa and other senior leaders of the militant outfit.

The chargesheet said that the anti-talk faction of the ULFA headed by Paresh Baruah and other members was trying to revive militant activities by recruiting new cadres and organizing camps within and beyond the Indian territory. They are also resorting to extortion and kidnapping to raise funds for attacking Indian security forces, government establishments and infrastructure. They are also waging war against the nation, it said.

The chargesheet said that the NIA collected sufficient materials, technical as well as circumstantial evidences against the accused persons during the course of the investigation to establish the charges against the accused. While Paresh Baruah is absconding in Myanmar, Abhizeet Asom is in the United Kingdom and the NIA has declared both of them as absconders.

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