Police custody of ULFA chief and two others extended for nine days

Guwahati, Dec 18 (ANI): ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, 'deputy commander-in-chief' Raju Baruah and the former's bodyguard Raja Bora were sent to another nine days of police custody after the end of their 12-day remand on Thursday.

The trio was produced before a special court in Guwahati after the end of their twelve-day police remand.

The state police had sought 14 days custody in three other blast cases.

"All are blast related cases. In each case 14 days police custody has been sought. In each case the court after hearing us and after hearing the state of Assam has reduced the period of custody sought for by the police in each case to three number of days, that means they will be in police custody for nine more number of days," said Bijon Mahajan, counsel for the accused.

Earlier in the month, Rajkhowa, who was underground for around two decades, was arrested in Bangladesh and brought to India.

In less than a month, the ULFA has been dealt a body blow with the arrest of the group's top leaders including Rajkhowa Raju Baruah, Chitraban Hazarika, Sacha Chaudhary. Only the group's military commander, Paresh Barua, who police believe to be in hiding somewhere along Myanmar-China border, still remains elusive.

The ULFA, which demands independence for the tea and oil-rich Assam, is the biggest insurgent group, running a three-decade-old campaign that has killed some 30,000 people.

Though the ULFA's military strength has waned, it still has capacity to organise attacks. At least six people were killed and 40 wounded in two bomb blasts in Assam last month. (ANI)