Assam: Verdict in oldest TADA case; 31 acquitted after 35 years

Four of 38 accused died; 3 absconding

Staff Reporter

Guwahati: A milestone was reached on Wednesday at the special Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) court in Guwahati, after a verdict was delivered in a 35-year-old case, resulting in the acquittal of 31 of the total 38 accused. The verdict has brought closure to one of Assam’s longest-running trials under the stringent law.

The verdict was delivered after nearly 25 years of trial proceedings in Special TADA court Case no. 43/2001, involving a total of 38 accused, of which 3 are still absconding, including ULFA-I supremo Paresh Baruah. While 31 of the accused were acquitted, 4 of them died even while proceedings were going on. The case was originally registered in 1991 as Case No. 1/1991 at Dispur Police Station. The charges included creating terror, extortion, and engaging in other unlawful activities. The trial formally began in 2001 in the Special TADA court in Guwahati. The case was pursued under provisions of Section 10 (3) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Sections 3 and 4 of the TADA Act, as well as multiple sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).

The Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, commonly known as TADA, was an Indian anti-terrorism law enacted in 1987. It was designed to prevent and deal with terrorist and disruptive activities, and it was in force from 1985 to 1995, with amendments in 1987. It applied to the whole of India.

TADA was eventually allowed to lapse in 1995, but its legacy continues to influence Indian anti-terrorism legislation. The Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA) are subsequent laws that have drawn on TADA’s provisions.

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