From Our Correspondent
GUWAHATI: The Gauhati High Court on Friday granted interim bail for four months to two top leaders of tribal militant outfit Dima Halam Daogah (J) — chairman Jewel Garlosa and Commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai – after perusing affidavits filed by Assam government and National Investigation Agency (NIA).
The counsel for the militant leaders Bijon Mahajan informed that a division bench of the High Court comprising chief justice Madan B Lokur and Justice Hrishikesh Roy granted four-month interim bail to the DHD (J) leaders.
The court examined affidavits filed by Assam Government and the NIA.
The Assam government requested the court to grant bail to the militant leaders in the interest of facilitating peace talks with the outfit which had surrendered arms over a year ago.
Assam government had earlier stated that it had no objection to court granting bail to the two DHD (J) top leaders in the interest of carrying forward the peace process with the outfit.
Earlier, the NIA Special Court here had rejected bail petitions of two top leaders of the DHD(J) in two cases related to anti-national activities and siphoning of development funds meant for Dima Hasao hill district of the state in collusion with politicians and bureaucrats.
The NIA has charge sheeted both militant leaders as prime accused in two cases (No 1/09 and 2/09) for anti-national activities.
The NIA Special Court judge A. Das had rejected the bail petitions under the provisions of section 43(B) of Unlawful Activities Prevention Act while rejecting the bail petitions.
All the DHD(J) cadres had laid down arms on 2 October 2009 in the wake of arrest of their top leaders and agreed for peace talks with the government of India.
The cadres are now lodged in truce time designated camps in Dima Hasao Hill district.
