Assam fake encounter: Major General among 7 given life sentence by Army court

Guwahati, Oct 14: A Summary General Court Martial (SGCM) of the Indian Army has sentenced a Major General, two Colonels and four other soldiers to life imprisonment, in a 4-year-old fake encounter case.

Court martial at Dinjan army camp in Tinsukia, had recently convicted Maj Gen A K Lal, Col Thomas Methew, Col R S Sibiren, Capt Dilip Singh, Capt Jagdeo Singh, Naik Albindar Singh and Naik Shivendar Singh.

In 1994 manger of tea estate was killed by Ulfa militants and army personnel from18 Punjab Regiment of the Indian Army detained nine youths of Tinsukia districts alleging their role in the killing.

Allegedly, five students leaders were killed by the Army in a fake encounter branding them as Ulfa militants while four others were released at a jungle by threatening them at gun point.

The Supreme Court in 2012 had asked the army to decide the mode of trial -a court martial or judicial trial for the seven who were charge sheeted by the CBI in the reported fake encounter case registered in the Guwahati High Court in February, 1994.

The high court registered the case based on a complaint of fake encounter filed by Jagadish Bhuyan, now a BJP leader and then vice-president of Tinsukia district unit of All Assam Students' Union.

Assam has seen widespread protests against the "fake encounter."