Life Sentence To Bodo Terror Group Chief, Sister Anjali To Appeal   

Ranjan Daimary and 9 Others Get Life Sentence For Assam Blasts in 2008

Monalisa Gogoi, Bureau Chief - North East, Indian Observer Post

Guwahati, January 30, 2018: A special CBI court of Assam awarded life imprisonment to Ranjan Daimary, chief of the Bodo insurgent group National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) and nine others in the 2008 Assam serial bombing case on Wednesday.

Aparesh Chakraborty, CBI Special Judge, pronounced the quantum of punishment amid tight security on the court premises in Guwahati.

The court, on Monday, had convicted 15 persons in connection with the serial blasts triggered by the NDFB on October 30, 2008 in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta, killing 88 people and injuring over 500.

In this connection, George Bodo, B Tharai, Raju Sarkar, Anchai Bodo, Indra Brahma, Loko Basumatary, Khargeswar Basumatary, Ajay Basumatary and Rajen Goyary were also sentenced to rigorous life imprisonment and slapped a fine of Rs. 10,000 each.

Three other convicts - Prabhat Bodo, Jayanti Basumatary and Mathura Brahma - were sentenced to five-year imprisonment and a fine of Rs. 3000 for each count they have been convicted on. They could be released after they pay the fine since they have already undergone twice the prison term as under-trials.

Ranjan, George, Ajay, Rahul, Rajendra, and Onsai were convicted under Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 324 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house) of the IPC, Sections 3 (b) and 4 (a) (b) (ii) of the Explosive Substances Act and Sections 10, 13, 16 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Lokra, Indra and Boisagi were convicted under Sections 326, 324 and 435 of the IPC, Sections 3 (b) and 4 (a) (b) (ii) of the Explosive Substances Act and Sections 10, 13, 16 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Jayanti, Mathuram and Prabhat were convicted under Sections 10, 13, 16 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Raju was convicted under Sections 302, 324, 326, 435 and 436 of the IPC and Sections 3 (b) and 4 (a) (b) (ii) of the Explosive Substances Act.

The CBI court has ordered the release of Nilim Daimary and Mridul Goyary as they have already served their sentence.

Nilim was held guilty under Sections 10 (a) and 13 (1) (a) (b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and imposed a fine of Rs 200.

The maximum punishment under the sections in which Nilim was held guilty is seven years imprisonment and since he has been in jail from 2008, he will be released on payment of the fine.

Except for Ranjan, who was released on bail in June 2013 for holding peace talks with the government, the remaining 13 convicts are already in jail. After his conviction, Ranjan’s bail was canceled and he was sent to jail. On the way, he said, “We will fight it in the higher court.”

The CBI had charge-sheeted 22 accused in this case and seven of them — Jitu Daimary, Arun Borgayary alias Dinthilang, Bishnu Goyari alias G. Bidai, Tarun Swargiary, Tensu Narzary alias Thungri Boro, Dinesh Boro, and Uttam Swargiary alias Ulafat — were declared absconders.

Of them, Uttam, Tensu, and Dinesh are believed to be dead.

The NDFB acts in collaboration with the ULFA. Authorities in Assam blamed the outfit to have acted in cooperation with the ULFA to carry out the October 2008 serial explosions in the State.

The family members of the victims have been waiting for near about a decade to hear the quantum punishment of these culprits.

Ranjan Daimary, the Self style Chairman of (NDFB) had led this serial bomb blast to create disturbance in the whole state. Meanwhile, most of the family members of the deceased family demanded the death sentence to those culprits

On the other hand, sister of Ranjan Daimary and prominent Bodo leader Anjali Daimary says, “We are not satisfied with this judgement. Ranjan Daimary is punished only because he leads the NDFB. The organization is in peace process and we hope this punishment may derail the process. We will fight the case in the Honorable High Court.”

WHAT IS NDFB?

National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) is an Assam based outfit, which was named Bodo Security Force (BdSF), under the leadership of Ranjan Daimary, when it was formed on October 3, 1986. On November 25, 1994, the BdSF rechristened itself as the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).

OBJECTIVES OF NDFB

The NDFB was formed with the purported objective of securing a ‘sovereign Bodoland’ in the areas north of the river Brahmaputra, according to South Asia Terrorism Portal. According to the ‘constitution’ of the outfit, which was adopted on March 10, 1998, nearly twelve years after its formation, the objectives of the outfit are the following.

• Liberate Bodoland from the Indian expansionism and occupation;
• Free the Bodo nation from the colonialist exploitation, oppression and domination;
• Establish a Democratic Socialist Society to promote Liberty, Equality and Fraternity; and
• Uphold the integrity and sovereignty of Bodoland.

Another significant demand of the NDFB concerns the script of the Bodo language. Currently, the Bodo language is written in Devnagri script; NDFB, whose members are mostly Christians and prefer to use the Roman script.

LINKAGES WITH OTHER GROUPS

The NDFB shares a close relationship with the other outfits like the ULFA, the Kamatapur Liberation Organisation (KLO), the Achik National Volunteers Council (ANVC) and the National Socialist Council of Nagaland-Khaplang (NSCN-K). Unconfirmed reports also suggest linkages between the Maoists of Nepal and the NDFB.

BANGLADESH, MYANMAR & BHUTAN CONNECTION OF NDFB

The NDFB maintains at least two camps in the Khagrachari and Tangail districts of Bangladesh. The Chin National Liberation Army (CNLA), a militant outfit of Myanmar, has also supplied arms and ammunition to the NDFB in the past.

NDFB, along with the ULFA, on various occasions was found to be allegedly channeling its funds through the "Bhutanese diplomatic bag" to their leaders based in Southeast Asian capitals. Prior to its dislodgment from Bhutan, the outfit was reported to have established a working relationship with certain elements in Bhutan. Several Bhutanese officials were reported to have visited the training camps located inside Bhutan and have been alleged to openly aiding the NDFB cadres.

NEGOTIATIONS FOR PEACE

The outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), since May 2005, is under a ceasefire agreement with the Assam and Union Government.

The NDFB announced a unilateral ceasefire with the Security Forces in 2004. Till then, its activities were reported from Nalbari, Barpeta, Dhubri, Sonitpur, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon, Chirang and Karbi Anglong Districts.

The outfit, on December 15, 2008, indicated that it will take part "indirectly or directly" in the forthcoming elections to the Lok Sabha (lower house of parliament).

At present, the NDFB cadres are located within the three designated camps set up in Assam following the May 2005 tri-partite agreement. A number of cadres live in their native villages complaining of inadequate facilities within the camps.

Photo credit - Guwahatiplus.com / NDTV / Shillong Times

Video Courtesy – Rindao Narzary