Lifer to Jewel, Niranjan, Mohit

NC HILLS SCAM CASE SENTENCING

BY OUR STAFF REPORTER

Guwahati, May 23: Nearly a decade after the multi-crore NC Hills terror funding scam rocked the tion, the Court of Special Judge, tiol Investigative Agency (NIA) on Tuesday afternoon handed out punishment to all 15 convicted accused, including militant-turned politicians Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hoja.

While the three kingpins of the scam Jewel Garlosa, Niranjan Hojai and Mohit Hojai have been sentenced to lifetime imprisonment, RH Khan, Ashringdao Warisa and Phojendra Hojai were handed jail terms up to 12 years. 

Jibangsu Pal, Debasis Bhattacharya, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh and Vanlalchha  have been sentenced to 10 years imprisonment. Babul Kemprai, Sandip Ghosh,  Karu Saikia, Golan Doulagupu and Malsawmkimi will be in jail for 8 years.

The case was first registered with Basistha police station (April 1, 2009) following the recovery of Rs 1 crore along with two pistols and letterheads of the banned DHD(J). Subsequently, the Assam government handed over the case to the NIA.

Public prosecutor Javed Ali Hasan told reporters outside the NIA Special Court that pronouncement of punishment to the convicted accused in the multi-crore scam is a huge victory in the battle against corruption.

Hasan also said the the NIA Special Court has sent perjury notices to witnesses who turned hostile during the trial.

After convicting the 15 accused on Monday, Judge Rabin Phukan of NIA Special Court had slated the case for Tuesday to decide the quantum of punishment to the convicts.

Hasan said the NIA Court found disbanded militant outfit DHD(J) ‘chairman’ Jewel Garlosa, his ‘commander-in-chief’ Niranjan Hojai and 13 others guilty of terror funding by siphoning of government fund worth several crore rupees in the then NC Hills (presently Dima Hasao) autonomous district.

The court convicted them under various sections of anti-terror law Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act, the Arms Act and the Indian Pel Code.

The NIA had filed the charge sheet in the case in 2009 against Jewel Garlosa, Niranjan Hojai, NC Hills Autonomous Council former chief executive member Mohet Hojai, Social Welfare Department official RH Khan and others including Malsawmkimi, Phojendra Hojai, Babul Kemprai, Samir Ahmed, Ahshringdao Warisa, Vanlalchha, George Lawmthang, Jayanta Kumar Ghosh, Debashish Bhattacharjee and Sandip Ghosh. While Samir Ahmed completed his term, George Lawmthang turned approver in the case.

The 16 faced trial for siphoning off Rs 1,000 crore of government development and welfare funds in the me of ghost beneficiaries to the Dima Halam Daogah (Jewel) outfit for procuring arms and ammunition from abroad to carry out their terror activities in the district.

Sources said the NIA investigations found the DHD(J) had used elected representatives of NC Hills Autonomous Council, government officials and contractors to divert huge sums of government money to their war chest.

During investigation, a huge cache of arms and ammunition from Mizoram, which included 8 (eight) M-16 rifles made in Singapore, one 9 mm pistol (Baretta), 12 walkie-talkie sets and one telescope (Bushnell). Another huge cache of arms and ammunition was recovered by Assam Police including 29 AK 47/AK 56 rifles, 5 M-16 rifles, 3 SLRs and other weapons. A cash hoard of Rs 1,32,11,000 was also recovered in both the cases.

The investigation into the two cases was spread over more than five states from where significant pieces of evidences were collected by NIA sleuths. The massive probe covered defalcation of funds of the NCHAC, shifting of funds through hawala transactions to Guwahati, Kolkata and Bangkok, procurement of arms through arms smugglers in Mizoram and supply of arms to the DHD(J). Police teams from Assam, Mizoram, Kartaka and West Bengal assisted the NIA teams during the investigation.

The scam was exposed when DHD(J) insurgents Phojendro Hojai and Babulal Kemprai were arrested in Guwahati with Rs 1 crore cash and arms in April, 2009.

Meanwhile the Assam BJP on Tuesday evening stripped Jewel Garlosa and Niranjan Hojai from primary membership of the party.