Arrest of 'Black Widow' enlivens hopes of peace in North Cachar Hills

North Cachar (Assam), June 14 (ANI): Hopes of peace returning to Assam's insurgency-ravaged North Cachar Hill District have increased with the recent arrest of the militant head of Dima Halam Daogah-Jewel outfit, popularly referred as Black Widow, in Bangalore.

Self-styled "Commander-in-Chief" Jewel Gorlosa was arrested along with two of his aides Partha Nunisa and Samir Dimasa from a hotel in Bangalore recently during a combined operation of Assam and Karnataka Police.

It is widely being anticipated that Jewel Golosa's arrest would pave the way for bringing normalcy to the region by speeding up the return of peace here.

The "Black Widow" outfit had terrorized people and generated huge amounts of money through abduction and extortion in the North Cachar Hill District, claim police.

"Information in our hand indicates that he (Gorlosa) has got two properties, one in Kathmandu, a huge house and something else and another near the Uttar Pradesh border," said G.M. Srivastava, Assam's Deputy General of Police.

"It was apprehended that the DHD Jewel faction would make some trouble. In fact, there is trouble going on in the North Cachar Hill District, but I believe they (militants) are demoralized and after losing their chairman and many senior leaders. Now, it is the government's responsibility to bring them to the negotiation table. Only then, can we hope for lasting peace in the North Cachar Hills," said Nava Takuria, a political columnist in Guwahati.

The Gorlosa-led Black Widow outfit had unleashed a reign of terror in North Cachar Hill District, the Borail Hill Range and a part of Karbi Anglong District of Assam since 2004.

It killed hundreds of people, including security forces and political leaders. The outfit also targeted trains and completely disrupted normal life in the region. (ANI)