Rajkhowa, deputy to be produced in Guwahati court

Guwahati, Dec 17 - Outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa and the group's deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah will be produced in a Guwahati court Thursday afternoon.

Sources said the two ULFA leaders would be produced at a camp court inside the Guwahati Central Jail premises instead of the Chief Judicial Magistrate's (CJM) court around 3.30 pm.

"For security reasons, police have sought permission to produce the two ULFA leaders before the CJM in the jail," sources in the government advocate's office said.

The duo was sent to 12 days police custody by the CJM Dec 6 after they were arrested from Dawki in Meghalaya, bordering Bangladesh.

There is speculation that police might not seek further remand of the two and instead would like the duo to be in judicial custody - a ploy to allow them to go to jail and meet other senior leaders already in prison.

Five senior ULFA leaders are already in the Guwahati jail - vice president Pradeep Gogoi, self-styled foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika, publicity chief Mithinga Daimary, and cultural secretary Pranati Deka.

"We are keeping our fingers crossed," Bijon Mahajan, the legal counsel of the two arrested ULFA leaders Rajkhowa and Baruah, said.

On Dec 4, the ULFA chairman, Raju Baruah, and Rajkhowa's personal security guard were arrested by Border Security Force officials near Dawki after they reportedly surrendered.  (IANS)