GUWAHATI, Jan 3 � Though allowing use of phones by persons under judicial custody is illegal, one militant leader of Assam was allowed to use a mobile phone for months while he was in judicial custody and he made thousands of calls during that period. The role of the Assam Police in the entire episode is also under scanner.
Highly-placed official sources told The Assam Tribune that the commander-in-chief of the DHD(J), Niranjan Hojai was kept in a paying cabin of the Gauhati Medical College Hospital for about a year when he was in judicial custody and interestingly, he was kept in the hospital even after he was discharged by the doctors attending to him.
During his stay in the hospital, Hojai was allowed to use a mobile phone, which was illegal as during that period, he was officially in judicial custody. Sources said that the Idea mobile phone (9085150168) used by Hojai was in the name of a police officer posted in the special branch of the Assam Police and the militant leader made thousands of calls from the phone. The bills for the phone were not paid by Hojai and no one is sure who paid the bills.
Interestingly, the central investigating agencies came to know about the use of the phone by the militant leader during investigation of different cases relating to the Dima Hasao district and the phone was taken away from Hojai in the morning of May 19 last year. The last call made from the phone was at 9.55 am on May 19 last year and since then it is not being used by anyone.
Meanwhile, the central investigating agencies have found a number of evidences of properties of Hojai in foreign countries and the concerned countries have been requested to attach the properties under the provisions of the Prevention of Money Laundering Act.
Sources said that Hojai took Nepali citizenship in the name of Nirmal Rai in 2006 and he paid Rs 35,000 to a Nepali citizen to declare Hojai as his adopted son. He took Nepali citizenship to obtain a passport and to do business in that country.
Sources revealed that Hojai took a Nepal passport in the name of Nirmal Rai (number 4159394) in 2008 and he set up the M/s Nirmal Rai House and Property Dealers Pvt Limited in Kathmandu to start dealing in properties. He opened an account in the Nepal SBI Bank Limited , Kathmandu (account number- 22525240200011) in the name of the firm. Later he married an actress Sarita Giri Rai and bought a house in her name in Kathmandu at a cost of Rs 50 lakh.
Sources said that Hojai, under the name of Nirmal Rai, joined a business venture of a Chinese couple in Singapore and the main purpose was to obtain an international credit card to travel to different countries. He also opened an account in the City Bank, International Personal Bank of Singapore (number 0693865018). Later, he transferred 1.85 lakh US Dollars from the account in Singapore to the account of his wife in Nepal. However, following the request from the Government of India to attach the properties of Hojai, the Central Investigation Bureau of Nepal Police froze the account of Hojai�s wife in Nepal (20515841401273) in Nepal SBI Bank Limited immediately after the money was transferred to the account from Singapore.
