http://www.thehindu.com/2007/11/16/stories/2007111654701400.htm
Mahanta at the helm of secret killings in Assam: Saikia
Commission
Sushanta Talukdar
Guwahati: The Justice K.N. Saikia
Commission has indicted the former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the
then police hierarchy and the Home Ministry for the extra-constitutional
killings which occurred in Assam during 1998-2001. There is enough evidence
to show that the then Home Minister was at the helm of these
extra-constitutional killings, the one-man Commission said. Mr. Mahanta, who
was heading the Asom Gana Parishad-led government, was also Home Minister
during this period.
The report of the Commission, constituted by the State government to probe the
secret killings of family members of leaders and cadres of the United
Liberation Front of Asom, was tabled in the Assembly by Chief Minister Tarun
Gogoi on Thursday.
About the motive behind the secret killings, the Commission said it was
perpetuation of the AGP rule by villainy, treachery and monstrous cruelty and
dangerous propensity.
Remote orchestration
The common
characteristics of the cases and evidence prove beyond reasonable doubt,
remote orchestration of killing from the Home Ministry, through police-SULFA
[surrendered ULFA] nexus using some SULFAs as the striking arms or
executioners. The authority may be held liable and be dealt with according to
law.
The Commission recommended to the government to try to first keep in
abeyance, and then gradually dismantle the Unified Command structure of the
Army, the Assam police and the Central paramilitary forces as an immediate
measure to prevent recurrence of such killings.
The Commission observed some common characteristics each killing involved
an ULFA family or an ULFA related family, the investigations mostly fizzling
out or ending in Final Reports or investigations pending, but no clue. No
charge sheet was submitted in any case. Most of the killings occurred at dead
of night, and the assailants invariably spoke in Assamese to wake up the
victims.
The assailants were invariably armed with sophisticated firearms of
prohibited bores, and masked with black wrappers or caps to avoid being
identified, the report said. The weapons used in the killings were invariably
firearms of different sizes, bores and calibres, mostly of prohibited bores
normally found in police-military situations. As firearms with prohibited bores
were used, forensic/ballistic examinations of exhibits were mostly avoided or
unduly delayed, and the investigation ultimately fizzled out. The vehicles used
were mostly Maruti Gypsies and vans and always without registration numbers.
There was police patrolling in the crime areas prior to and after, but not
during the killings.
Army ubiquitous
The Army was ubiquitous. By
Army, we mean the armed forces of the Union deployed in Assam in aid of civil
power. There was lurking evidence of police-SULFA nexus in the killings, some
of the latter being constituted as an extra-constitutional authority and used
as executioners. The modus operandi being to visit the family, ask members to
persuade its ULFA members to surrender, failing which, to send an advance team
to survey the location and structure of the house, then to send armed and
masked men at dead of night, knock at the door to wake up the inmates and then
drag him/them out and shoot him/them dead, or take him/them away and secretly
kill and throw the bodies somewhere.
The report said there was general resentment against the Unified Command
Structure/Chief Minister.
In its action taken report, the government said it accepted the Commissions
recommendation to revive 20 cases for re-investigation. As for keeping in
abeyance and gradually dismantling the Unified Command structure, it said the
recommendation would be considered in conjunction with the prevailing situation
at the time of the tri-monthly review of the structure.
Another report tabled
The government also
tabled the preliminary report of the Justice J.N. Sharma Commission,
constituted prior to the setting up of the Saikia Commission.
Justice Sharma said he was not able to identify the killers and accomplices,
and pinpoint responsibility.
Umesh Sharma
Washington D.C.
1-202-215-4328 [Cell]
Ed.M. - International Education Policy
Harvard Graduate School of Education,
Harvard University,
Class of 2005
http://www.uknow.gse.harvard.edu/index.html (Edu info)
http://hbswk.hbs.edu/ (Management Info)
www.gse.harvard.edu/iep (where the above 2 are used )
http://harvardscience.harvard.edu/
http://jaipurschool.bihu.in/
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