Court pronounces 14 guilty in Assam terror funding scam

Guwahati May 22 (IANS) A special NIA court on Monday convicted 14 persons accused in a Rs 1 000 crore terror funding scam that rocked Assam nearly a decade ago.

A senior NIA advocate said the court has pronounced all the 14 accused guilty. The court is likely to pronounce the punishments on Tuesday.

The scam refers to the siphoning off of funds meant for development activities in the North Cachar Hills district (now called Dima Hasao district) to the coffers of the militants particularly the Dima Halam Daoga (DHD) militants led by its chairman Jewel Gorlocha.

The money was used by the militants to procure arms and ammunition to wage war against India.

This was the first case to be taken up by the NIA in Assam in 2009.

The accused included former militants including DHD chairman Jewel Gorlosa its commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai Mohet Hojai former chief executive member of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC)-- the Sixth Schedule Council that runs the administration in the NC Hills district and a social welfare department official R.H. Khan.

Granted an interim bail in 2011 by the Gauhati High Court on the condition that they would take part in peace talks with the government both Gorlocha and Hojai later joined BJP and successfully contested the Dima Hasao District Autonomous Council.

Hojai also became the chief executive member of the autonomous council in 2015 when the BJP wrested power from the Congress in the Council.

--IANS
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