Two top leaders of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Assam (Ulfa)?vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi and central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary?were granted bail by the designated court here on Tuesday. The bail of the two top leaders became possible after the Assam government decided not to oppose or contest their bail petitions. The state government?s decision is part of its efforts to pave the way for peace talks with the Ulfa leaders.
Gogoi and Daimary could not be set free from prison on Tuesday, however, because of non-submission of bail bonds. While Daimary?s bail bond and other necessary documents are likely to be submitted to the court on Wednesday, Gogoi?s release is likely to be delayed because his papers are not yet ready.
The designated court had earlier on February 19 granted bail to the duo in three cases each. There were five Tada cases against each of the two leaders. The Assam government had on February 16 informed the court that it had no objection if the two Ulfa leaders were granted bail.
The court, while granting bail on Tuesday, asked the two Ulfa leaders to deposit in the court their passports, present two sureties of Rs 1 lakh in each of the cases, remain within the country and present themselves before the court whenever summoned.
While vice-chairman Gogoi was arrested in Kolkata in April 1998, Mithinga Daimary was handed over to the Indian authorities in January 2004 after the Royal Bhutanese Army carried out Operation All Clear to flush out the Ulfa, NDFB and KLO militants from the Himalayan kingdom.
The government is likely to pursue the same policy in case of bail petitions of other top Ulfa leaders who are currently lodged in jail. They include chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, advisor Bhimkanta Buragohain, armed wing deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, foreign secretary Sasha Choudhury, finance secretary Chitraban Hazarika and cultural secretary Pranati Deka.