Mithinga Daimary

Guwahati/Jorhat, Dec. 27: The special operations unit of Assam police today began a fresh round of interrogation of arrested Ulfa “publicity secretary” Mithinga Daimary.

The police headquarters also directed all police stations in the state to send earlier records of militants, if any, who have surrendered after the crackdown in Bhutan.

Daimary, who was remanded in seven days’ police custody, told mediapersons yesterday that the Ulfa had requested Bhutan to play the role of mediator with New Delhi but the Himalayan kingdom “betrayed us” by mounting a “surprise attack”. He also said “the Ulfa had never been opposed to peace talks and had therefore requested Bhutan to mediate.”

The police move to dig out old records of Ulfa rebels has created confusion as it has come in the wake of general amnesty announced by chief minister Tarun Gogoi to those rebels who surrender within the January 31 deadline.

Several batches of militants belonging to the Ulfa and the NDFB have surrendered to the security forces following the Bhutan operations, which were launched on December 15.

Sources said the militants, wanted in earlier cases, would be tried according to the law.

“There is no question of providing amnesty when a militant is wanted in earlier cases. If a militant has surrendered recently and is not wanted in any earlier militancy-related cases, only he or she would be provided amnesty,” explained a police official after receiving a directive from the police headquarters.

Chief judicial magistrate Rumi Kumari Phukan remanded Daimary in seven days’ police custody but asked the police not to handcuff him.

The CJM also directed the police to get him examined by doctors every 48 hours. Daimary’s counsels opposed the prayer submitted by the special operations unit for 14 days’ police remand and insisted that the detainee be remanded in judicial custody.

The senior Ulfa leader was brought to court under heavy security from Nalbari and whisked away by policemen immediately after the CJM heard both the sides.

Daimary’s counsels — Bijan Mahajan, Bhaskar Dev Konwar, Raju Pradhan, Nekibur Zaman and Paresh Kalita — opposed the prayer for police remand and submitted before the court that the detainee was “physically and mentally tortured” while in the custody of army and police.

They also accused officials of the special operations unit of violating a Supreme Court directive by not displaying their name tags at the time of interrogation. They also opposed references to Daimary’s arrest in connection with the special operations unit case dating back to 1998.

Alert sounded: The Border Security Force (BSF) and the state armed police have been placed on fresh alert along the Indo-Bangladesh border in south Assam’s Karimganj district, adds our Silchar correspondent.

The BSF, for the first time, has also been asked to conduct joint patrolling along Karimganj district’s border along with the police.

Official sources in the district headquarters town of Karimganj today said such an alert was sounded to foil attacks by Ulfa militants.

Now in disarray after their hideouts in Bhutan were run over by the royal army, the rebels may sneak across the border to Bangladesh.

Sources added surveillance had been stepped up, particularly in the district’s numerous bus stands and railway stations.

Sources said such precautionary steps in Karimganj district were taken following instructions from the state home department. Dispur was alerted by the Union home ministry about the possibility of Ulfa militants fleeing from Bhutan trying to enter Bangladesh.

The international border along Karimganj district has always been porous, making it easy for rebels from the Northeast to slip across the border into Bangladesh or return from there after training.