Rajkhowa, ten ULFA cadres presented before Guwahati court

Guwahati, Dec 5 (ANI): Self-styled chairman of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Arabinda Rajkhowa and ten other members of the rebel outfit were presented before a chief magistrate's court here this evening amid tight security.

Speaking to the media before entering the court, Rajkhowa said that he had not surrendered to the Indian security forces, but had been arrested along with Raju Baruah and Raja Gogoi.

Rajkhowa and ten other ULFA cadres, who were handed over to India by Bangladesh yesterday, could be charged under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and TADA.

Sources here have suggested that Rajkhowa and the other arrested ULFA men could be sent to jail and would also face the judicial process.

Apart from IPC and TADA, Rajkhowa may also be charged under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

On Friday, Rajkhowa and the self-styled deputy commander-in-chief of the outfit Raju Baruah were placed under arrest. They and their family members were taken into custody after they "surrendered" before the Border Security Force in the Dawki sector of the India-Bangladesh border in Meghalaya.

The others handed over are Rajkhowa"s wife, Kaberi Kachari (42); his two sons Gadadhar (5) and Kamsena (13); Raju Baruah"s wife, Nirala Neog (30); and his minor son Hemanta; Runima Choudhury (41), wife of Sashadhar Choudhury, the arrested ULFA foreign secretary; and the couple"s 10-month-old daughter, Hema; and Raja Bora, PSO of Rajkhowa.

Rajkhowa is likely to be lodged in a Guwahati jail. The Centre has said that talks with the ULFA leaders is still some distance away.

Sasha Choudhury and Chitrabon Hazarika, the two other senior leaders of ULFA are already in custody for the last month. Some key operatives of the Lashkar have also been picked in Bangladesh. Even Rajkhowa was pinned down in an operation on October 27, but managed to get away.

ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Baruah, who is based in China, is known to be opposed to talks with India. The rift between him and Rajkhowa also helped India get Rajkhowa to agree to talks. (ANI)