Secret killings: Notices to Mahanta, Gill

Gill confirmed that he had received the notice and would be sending his affidavit soon.

Former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and former Punjab Director-General of Police KPS Gill were served notices to appear before Justice KN Saikia Commission probing the secret killings in Assam.

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Justice Saikia told reporters in Guwahati on Sunday that Gill confirmed that he had received the notice and would be sending his affidavit soon.

Notices have been served to Mahanta, who was also holding the Home portfolio during his last term, Gill and several other senior officials of the home department.

Justice Saikia said that he has asked the government to extend the term of the commission by another six months.

The commission is inquiring into 12 cases and each case requires four sessions for hearing and one session for argument and therefore more time was required, he pointed out.

Justice Saikia was asked to inquire into the secret killings that took place during Mahanta's regime after the present Congress government rejected the report submitted by Justice JN Sharma who had earlier inquired into the killings and acquitted Mahanta.

Several family members of ULFA militants were allegedly killed by surrendered ULFA activists during 1998-99 during Mahanta's regime and these are referred to as secret killings.