Guwahati, Aug. 5: Justice K.N. Saikia Commission, probing the “secret killings” that rocked Assam during the erstwhile AGP-led government, today examined surrendered Ulfa leader Jugal Kishore Mahanta regarding the killing of the family members of the outfit’s publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary in 1998.

Mahanta said he came to know about the incident from newspaper reports and did not know anything more about it. He gave a similar reply regarding the killing of Jyotish Sarma, brother-in-law of Ulfa leader Subhash Sarma, on January 3, 2001.

Mahanta, however, admitted before the panel that security forces, particularly the army, put different kinds of pressure on the Sulfa to help them in counter-insurgency operations. He alleged that there have been numerous instances when Sulfa men were harassed and even killed by armymen. “After killing two Sulfa youths in Dibrugarh, some armymen even tried to implicate the Ulfa in that case.”

He also agreed that there was a conflict between the Ulfa and Sulfa men and that a third party may have tried to take advantage of the situation.

Mahanta was cross-examined by the commission’s counsel Y.K. Phukan and senior government advocate P.K. Musahary. Answering Phukan’s query on when he had last met IGP Dilip Bora, Mahanta said he had met him after the attack on his apartment at Usha Court near Zoo Tiniali on March 7, 1999. After that incident, he said, he does not remember meeting Bora. However, Bora had told the commission that he had been to Mahanta’s residence on a private visit after the incident.

Daimary’s family members were killed by unknown gunmen in Nalbari district on August 12, 1998. The panel summoned Mahanta after one of Daimary’s relatives, Nitul Kachari, alleged his involvement in the killing.

Mahanta told reporters that he would co-operate with the panel in every way so that the facts could be unveiled.

The panel has summoned three witnesses, including Dh-ubri SP P.K. Dutta, on Monday.