Guwahati, May 23: An NIA special court today handed life sentences to rebel leaders-turned-politicians Jewel Gorlosa and Niranjan Hojai and former chief executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council, Mohit Hojai, for diverting development funds to the now disbanded DHD (J) militant group.
Niranjan was currently serving as the executive member in charge of the public works department of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council while Jewel was a member of the autonomous council. Both were convicted by the NIA court yesterday under Section 120B of the IPC, Sections 16, 17 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Section 25 (1)(d) of the Arms Act in NIA case number RC-01/2009.
Niranjan was the commander-in-chief of the DHD (J) while Jewel was the outfit's chairman. Both are now members of the BJP.
In the same case, Mohit was convicted under Sections 120B of the IPC and Section 17 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
NIA special judge Robin Phukan also ordered Jewel and Niranjan to pay fines of Rs 1.25 lakh each while Mohit was told to pay a fine of Rs 50,000.
The other 10 accused in this case, which was filed in 2009, were awarded prison terms ranging from eight to 12 years besides fines of Rs 25,000.
Then deputy director of the social welfare department, R.H. Khan, has been sentenced to 12 years in jail while the then executive engineer of the public health engineering department, Karuna Saikia, will have to serve eight years.
Contractors Phojendra Hojai and Joyanta Kumar Ghosh got 12 years and 10 years' imprisonment respectively.
Hawala operator Malsawmkimi was sentenced to eight years in jail with a fine and Mizoram-based arms smuggler Vanlalchana got a 10-year sentence and fine.
The NIA court also ordered initiation of perjury proceedings against 15 witnesses who had turned hostile during trial of the two cases.
Following the NIA court order, Assam BJP president Ranjeet Kumar Dass today sacked Niranjan Hojai from the primary membership of the party.
When being taken away from the court, Jewel told mediapersons that they were "withdrawing the ceasefire" with the government after today's court order.
He further said that peace process and the memorandum of settlement (which DHD-J had signed with the government) have failed.
DHD (J) cadres surrendered before then chief minister Tarun Gogoi at Haflong in Dima Hasao district on October 3, 2009. The Centre and the Assam government signed a memorandum of settlement with DHD (J) in October 2012 after which the outfit was disbanded in November 2012.
The BJP's Debolal Gorlosa, who was next to Niranjan in the now-disbanded DHD (J), is the current chief executive member of the council.
AGP leader Debojit Thaosen, reacting to the verdict, said today in Haflong that people should now become careful in choosing their elected representatives "as one after another BJP leaders were going to jail".
In the NIA case number RC-02/2009, related to diversion of development funds to the coffers of the DHD (J), the two accused - contractor Jibangsu Paul and DHD (J) linkman Golan Daulagupu - were given 10-year and eight-year sentences respectively.
The duo were yesterday convicted under Section 120B of the IPC and Section 17 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.
These two cases were registered by the NIA in 2009 based on allegations that huge sums of money were being siphoned off from the development funds allotted to the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council in connivance with contractors and government servants and being sent to the DHD (J) for procurement of arms and ammunition and other subversive activities.
According to the NIA, during the investigation of the two cases, a huge cache of arms and ammunition was seized from Mizoram, which included eight M-16 rifles made in Singapore, a 9mm Beretta pistol, 12 walkie-talkie sets and a telescope. Another huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered by Assam police, including 29 AK-47 and AK-56 rifles, five M-16 rifles, three self-loading rifles and other weapons. Cash worth Rs 1,32,11,000 was also recovered in connection with the two cases.
The investigation of these cases was spread over five states. The investigation covered defalcation of funds of the autonomous council, transfer of funds through hawala transactions to Guwahati, Calcutta and Bangkok and procurement of arms through arms smugglers in Mizoram. Police teams from Assam, Mizoram, Karnataka and Bengal extended assistance to the NIA teams during investigation of these cases.
