GUWAHATI, Nov 12 - United Liberation Front of Asom (Independent) leader Drishti Rajkhowa who surrendered before Meghalaya Police yesterday, was in touch with Central agencies for over seven months as he was keen on coming overground. He was brought to the headquarters of 21 Mountain Division of the Army at Rangiya today. Highly placed security sources told The Assam Tribune that Rajkhowa, the deputy commander-in-chief of the ULFA(I) and the right hand man of commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, was keen on coming overground.
Rajkhowa was in Bangladesh and he returned to Garo Hills of Meghalaya a few weeks back. But even after returning to India, he had a narrow escape in October 28 when Meghalaya Police launched an operation in the area where he was hiding. Sources said that the Central agencies kept Meghalaya Police and Army in the loop to facilitate the surrender of the militant leader, who was getting desperate to surrender because his wife is suffering from cancer. Finally, Rajkhowa surrendered yesterday and a case has been registered in Meghalaya also as he was involved with the operations of Garo National Liberation Front (GNLA), an outfit active in the Garo hills districts of Meghalaya.
Sources revealed that the surrender of Rajkhowa would be a major blow to ULFA(I) as he was the mastermind of all the operations and other activities of the outfit in western Assam and even Guwahati city for a long time. He used to frequent between Bangladesh and Garo hills for years and always used the facilities of the GNLA as his hideouts.
The ULFA(I) today claimed that Rajkhowa was allowed to surrender because his wife is sick. But security sources said that the surrender was not a recent decision by the ULFA leader as he was in touch with Central agencies for a long time.
