Guwahati, April 27: The designated Tada court here today acquitted Ulfa leader Arabinda Rajkhowa, Pradip Gogoi and two others in a murder case.

The court let off the accused from the charges of killing Guwahati-based businessman and former president of Kamrup Chamber of Commerce Girdharilal Harlalka, after it found prosecution evidence inconsistent and they could not prove the guilt of the accused persons beyond reasonable doubt. Advocate Bijon Kumar Mahajan argued the case for Rajkhowa.

Harlalka was shot dead on Kedar Road in Guwahati by unidentified gunmen on October 16, 1988, and the case registered at Panbazar police station. Besides Arabinda Rajkhowa and Pradip Gogoi, police had also chargesheeted anti-talks Ulfa leader Paresh Barua, Anup Chetia alias Golap Barua and surrendered Ulfa men Munin Nabis and Dhruba Talukdar in the case. In the chargesheet, Paresh Barua and Anup Chetia were shown as absconding accused and they are yet to face trial.

At present, Anup Chetia is in “protective custody” in a Bangladeshi jail after serving a jail term for illegally entering the country. Another accused, Dhruba Talukdar, was allegedly killed by his personal bodyguard on March 26 this year.