The National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a supplementary charge sheet against United Liberation Front of Asom-Independent (ULFA-I) commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah and four others of the banned outfit in connection with a grenade blast in Guwahati two years ago.
The development comes amid speculation of ULFA-I joining peace talks with Centre.
The charge sheet was filed on Tuesday at the NIA special court in Guwahati against Baruah, Pappu Koch Bokoliyal, Amrit Ballav Goswami, Arunodoy Dahotiya and Munna Baruah, an NIA release issued on Wednesday said.
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“The case relates to incident of two ULFA (I) cadres lobbing a grenade at a police party near Central Mall, RGB Road, Guwahati which led to injuries to 12 persons. Later, Paresh Baruah, self-styled commander-in-chief of ULFA (I) took responsibility for the terrorist attack,” the NIA release said.
Twelve persons were injured in the blast outside a mall on May 19, 2019. The NIA took charge of the case on June 26 and filed a charge sheet against eight persons in November the same year. Now a supplementary charge sheet has been filed based on additional evidence gathered against the five accused during the course of investigation.
{{/usCountry}}Twelve persons were injured in the blast outside a mall on May 19, 2019. The NIA took charge of the case on June 26 and filed a charge sheet against eight persons in November the same year. Now a supplementary charge sheet has been filed based on additional evidence gathered against the five accused during the course of investigation.
{{/usCountry}}The five accused “have been charged for their roles in the conspiracy of the grenade attack and for waging war against the union of India on the strength of additional evidence (that) surfaced during investigation.”
There have been speculations that ULFA-I could join peace talks with the Centre since May this year, when the Bharatiya Janata Party-led government assumed office in Assam for a second term.
The outfit, has, however maintained that the issue of Assam’s sovereignty should be part of talks--a pre-condition, which has been ruled out by Centre as well the state government.
Citing the Covid-19 pandemic, the outfit declared a unilateral ceasefire in May for three months, extending it by another three months in August. This year, for the first time since its inception in 1979, ULFA-I didn’t boycott the Independence Day celebrations or call for a ‘bandh’ on the occasion.
“Our organisation is not against talks or belligerent. But it is not possible to deny historical facts or waver from our ideological goals in the name of talks. Indian authorities have maintained that talks with ULFA-I can’t include the question of (Assam’s) sovereignty,” ULFA-I said in a statement released in August.
Earlier this month, the outfit carried out a “structural change” in the organisation by creating three new councils with Baruah heading the supreme council. No changes were made in the military wing of the outfit.