Death sentence for 2, life term to 2 others in connection with 2014 Sonitpur killings

GUWAHATI, Sept 15: A special court of National Investigation Agency (NIA) on Saturday awarded death sentence to two and life imprisonment to two others in the mass killings triggered by terrorist outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) in 2014.

A statement issued by the NIA said that while two accused, Bishnu Narzary alias N Berema and Ajoy Basumutary alias B Buhumbua, have been awarded death penalty, two others, Sanju Bordoloi alias Sibigiri and Nitul Daimary alias D Naihab, have been awarded life imprisonment.

Although the court had convicted the four in the case on August 29, the quantum of punishment was pronounced on Saturday. On December 23, 2014, NDFB militants had indiscriminately fired upon villagers of Hatijuli Shantipur village under Dhekiajuli police station in Sonitpur district of Assam killing six persons instantly and injuring two others. The Assam government had handed over the case to the NIA which registered a case on December 30 the same year under various sections and the Arms Act. In this connection, a case RC-04/2014/NIA/GUW was registered at NIA Guwahati on December 30, 2014, u/s 120B, 121, 147, 148, 302 of IPS, sec. 25 (1A), 27 of Arms Act and sec. 10, 13, 16, 18, 20 of UA (P) Act. A chargesheet was filed against the four accused person on July 22, 2015.