Life term for Bodo Chief Daimary..... 9 others jailed in blast case

PANKAJ SARMA, TT, 31 Jan 2019, Guwahati: National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) chief Ranjan Daimary and nine others were sentenced to life imprisonment by a special court here on Wednesday for their involvement in the serial bomb blasts in Assam on October 30, 2008, that claimed 88 lives and left nearly 500 injured Rajendra Goyari alias Rifikhang, George Boro, Ajay Basumatary, Rahul Brahma, Onsai Boro, Lokra Basumatary, Indra Brahma, Boisagi Basumatary alias B. Thorai and Raju Sarkar were also handed life sentences.

Though the guilty had pleaded for leniency, citing they are in peace parleys with the government, Aparesh Chakravarty -- the judge of the special court set up to fasttrack the trial -- rejected their plea by describing the case as "rarest of the rare".

The NDFB faction led by Daimary has called a 12-hour Assam bandh on Thursday in protest against the order.

The court on Monday convicted Ranjan, George, Ajay, Rahul, Rajendra and Onsai under Sections 120 (B) (criminal conspiracy), 302 (murder), 326 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 324 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt by dangerous weapons or means), 435 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to cause damage) and 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance with intent to destroy a house) of the IPC, Sections 3 (b) and 4 (a) (b) (ii) of the Explosive Substances Act and Sections 10, 13, 16 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

Lokra, Indra and Boisagi were found guilty under Sections 326, 324 and 435 of the IPC, Sections 3 (b) and 4 (a) (b) (ii) of the Explosive Substances Act and Sections 10, 13, 16 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act and Raju under Sections 302, 324, 326, 435 and 436 of the IPC and Sections 3 (b) and 4 (a) (b) (ii) of the Explosive Substances Act.

Special public prosecutor Tutumoni Deva Goswami said three other convicts -- Jayanti Brahma, Mathuram Brahma and Prabhat Boro -- who were convicted under Sections 10, 13, 16 and 20 of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, have been sentenced to undergo imprisonment for five years. "These three convicts will be released forthwith since they have been in jail for the last 10 years," Goswami said.

Another convict, Nilim Daimary, who was held guilty under Sections 10 (a) and 13 (1) (a) (b) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, will also be released because the maximum punishment under the sections he was convicted in is seven years' imprisonment and he has been in jail since 2008. One of the 15 accused who faced trial in this case -- Mridul Goyari -- was given the benefit of doubt and acquitted for lack of evidence.

"The judgment is not as per our expectations. It was passed only on the basis of confessional statements and circumstantial evidence. We will appeal against the order in Gauhati High Court," de- fence counsel Manas Sarania said.

"If the high court order does not go in our favour, we are ready to move the Supreme Court," he said.

The CBI, which had taken over the investigation of the case from Assam police in De- cember, 2008, had chargesheeted 22 accused, of whom seven -- Jitu Daimary, Arun Borgayary alias Dinthi- lang, Bishnu Goyari alias G.

Bidai, Tarun Swargiary, Tensu Narzary alias Thungri Boro, Dinesh Boro and Uttam Swargiary alias Ulafat -- were declared absconders. Uttam, Tensu and Dinesh are believed to be dead.

The nine near-simultaneous blasts in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Barpeta and Bongaigaon, which occurred between 11.20am and 11.30am on October 30, 2008, was investigated by the CBI's special task force, New Delhi.

The NDFB was formed in 1986 to carve out an independent "Bodoland".