Prafulla Mahanta accused behind the secret killings

Nov 16: The one man commission headed by Justice K.N Saikia has hauled up former Chief Minister of Assam Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the police chain of command and the Home ministry for the extra constitutional killings during 1998-2001.

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The report was tabled before the Assam Assembly by Tarun Gogoi, Chief Minister of Assam on November 15.

The commission was constituted by state government to probe the secret killings of family members of leaders and cadres of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA).

The report said, “There is enough evidence to show that the then Home Minister was at the helm of these extra-constitutional killings,” pointing towards Mahanta who was also in charge of the home department.

The report suggested that the secret killing was done for “perpetuation of the AGP rule by villainy, treachery and monstrous cruelty and dangerous propensity.”

It mentioned that the evidences have proved that the killing was done with the help of surrendered ULFA (SULFA) and police on the behest of Home Ministry.

The common thread observed by the commission was that each killing involved an ULFA related family or person with investigation pending. There was no charge sheet submitted for any of the cases. The killing used to take place dead at night.

It is also reported that the assailants were Assamese speakers, armed with sophisticated firearms and were masked with black caps to avoid being identified. The vehicles used were mostly Maruti Gypsies and vans without registration number.

The report said that there was police patrolling in the crime areas prior to or after but not during the killings.

Earlier two other commissions were constituted one under Meera Sharma which was dismissed after she could not carry on the investigation on personal account and other under Justice J N Sharma.

After High Court ordered the state government against Mahanta’s appeal, both the report were tabled in the assembly.

Justice J N Sharma report could not find any evidence against killing and was inconclusive.

Mahanta who lost the elections of 2001 in the backdrop of these killings accused Gogoi’s government of appeasing the insurgents and is a plot to malign his name before the Panchayat elections.

The Commission report has recommended the dissolution of the Unified Headquarters of the Army, police and paramilitary forces in Assam. The command was set up in 1997 to counter terrorism.

The state government decision to consider the Saikia commission’s suggestion will put a question mark on counter insurgency machinery of the state.