NDFB chief, 13 others convicted for 2008 Assam serial blasts

GUWAHATI: A special fast track court has found the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) chief and 13 others guilty of carrying out serial blasts in four Assam towns in 2008. More than 90 people were killed and about 400 wounded in the attack. The special court will pronounce the quantum of punishment on Wednesday. Two of those convicted are women. Mridul Goyari — one of the 22 accused — was acquitted.

Ranjan Daimary, the NDFB chief who was out on bail, was re-arrested and sent to jail soon after the verdict was announced. CBI had sought capital punishment for the convicts, according to investigator NS Yadav. “We recorded statements of about 650 witnesses and examined 687 exhibits or documentary evidence.”

The CBI had taken charge of the investigation from Assam police. In 2010, Daimary was arrested near Bangladesh and the trial was initiated in 2011. It ended eight years later on January 22. The special court was set up in 2017, after families of the blast casualties demanded a fasttrack trial.

George Boro, Ajoy Basumatary, Rajendra Goyari, Onsai Boro, Rahul Brahma, Lakra Basumatary, Baishagi Basumatary, Indra Brahma, Raju Sarkar, Jayanti Brahma, Mathuram Brahma, Nilim Daimary and Prabhat Boro were among those convicted along with Ranjan Daimary.

Families and friends of Daimary and other convicts, are seeking their release. They said they were planning to move the high court against the verdict. “Conviction and peace talks can’t go together,” said Anjali Daimary, the NDFB chief’s sister, and a social activist.