Bangladesh hands over Ulfa chairman Rajkhowa to India
The custody of Rajkhowa along with 9 others was given to the BSF.
By PTI |
GUWAHATI: Ulfa’s top leader Arabinda Rajkhowa, his wife and another key militant were on Friday handed over to the Indian authorities by Bangladeshi agencies at an outpost along the border in Meghalaya, paving the way for peace talks with the banned militant outfit.
The custody of 53-year-old Rajkhowa along with 9 others, including Ulfa's military operations deputy chief Raju Barua was given to the BSF at the Dawki outpost in the Jaintia hills district, official sources said.
Along with them were Rajkhowa's wife and two children, his bodyguard Raju Borah, Barua's wife and son, and wife and daughter of Ulfa's self-styled foreign secretary Sashadhar Choudhury, they said.
They were later flown to Guwahati where they surrendered before the Assam Police, the sources said. They were immediately taken into preventive custody for completion of various legal formalities, the sources said.
Rajkhowa, founder member of the outfit, was detained in Bangladesh recently. He is among four people who founded the separatist outfit on April 7, 1979.
Indications of government opening talks with Ulfa were given by Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday when he told the Rajya Sabha that the outfit is likely to make a political statement in the next few days.
"Ulfa is in disarray today. In next few days, the Ulfa leadership will make a political statement. Our government is prepared to talk to Ulfa provided they abjure violence and there is no demand for sovereignty," he had said.
The custody of 53-year-old Rajkhowa along with 9 others, including Ulfa's military operations deputy chief Raju Barua was given to the BSF at the Dawki outpost in the Jaintia hills district, official sources said.
Along with them were Rajkhowa's wife and two children, his bodyguard Raju Borah, Barua's wife and son, and wife and daughter of Ulfa's self-styled foreign secretary Sashadhar Choudhury, they said.
They were later flown to Guwahati where they surrendered before the Assam Police, the sources said. They were immediately taken into preventive custody for completion of various legal formalities, the sources said.
Rajkhowa, founder member of the outfit, was detained in Bangladesh recently. He is among four people who founded the separatist outfit on April 7, 1979.
Indications of government opening talks with Ulfa were given by Home Minister P Chidambaram on Wednesday when he told the Rajya Sabha that the outfit is likely to make a political statement in the next few days.
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"Ulfa is in disarray today. In next few days, the Ulfa leadership will make a political statement. Our government is prepared to talk to Ulfa provided they abjure violence and there is no demand for sovereignty," he had said.
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