Guwahati, June 13: The Gauhati High Court has cleared former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta of all allegations relating to “secret killings” during his tenure over two decades back.
Upholding its previous decision on September 3, 2018, the High Court ruled that the allegations against Mahanta were part of a conspiracy by various politicians and political parties to tarnish his image.
The court pulled up the petitioners, Ajit Bhuyan and Ananta Kalita, for failing to provide substantial proof in support of their claims, even after 531 days of filing an interlocutory application under Section 5 of the Limitation Act against the verdict and final order issued by the single bench of Gauhati High Court on September 3, 2018.
The affidavit-in-opposition was filed by Mahanta, who argued against the petitioners’ claim of being unaware of the events. The former chief minister said that the judgment had received extensive coverage in both national and local print and electronic media.
After considering the arguments from both parties, the court determined that the evidence clearly showed that the applicants were aware of the September 2018 judgment.
It may be recalled that a series of assassinations, targeting ULFA leaders’ families and well-wishers, had taken place between 1998 and 2001 during the tenure of Mahanta.
In August 2005, the Justice (retired) KN Saikia Commission was constituted during chief minister Tarun Gogoi’s tenure to investigate the secret killings.
The commission had pointed out that surrendered ULFA members were involved in the killings even as the commission’s findings were quashed by the Gauhati HC in 2018.
Meanwhile, welcoming the High Court’s verdict, Mahanta said that justice has been served and that the judgment of the court has reaffirmed his faith in the judiciary.