STAFF REPORTER
GUWAHATI: A special NIA court sentenced Rabi Basumatary alias Rongjabaja alias Rabi to life imprisonment with 10 years of rigorous imprisonment under various sections for the indiscriminate firing at villagers in Assam in 2014.
On May 1, 2014, Rabi, along with six other NDFB cadres, had entered Balapra village under the Gosaigaon PS area of Kokrajhar district of Assam, where they opened indiscriminate fire on the villagers on instructions from top NDFB leadership headed by G.Bidai and Songbijit.
Seven villagers were killed and two grievously injured in the case, in which Rabi was arrested in September 2016 and charge-sheeted by NIA in March 2017 through the first supplementary chargesheet.
The original chargesheet in the case was filed in Gossaigaon (Balapara) of Assam against accused Pradip Brahma alias Pwler in August 2015. A second supplementary chargesheet was filed in October 2019 against accused Upen Basumatary @ Usaobadao, while a third supplementary chargesheet was filed in January 2021 against five absconding accused persons.
Rabi, who was convicted by the court on March 13, 2023, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in two cases and RI in two others (Sections 302, 307 and 34 of the IPC and section 16 (1) (a) & 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967). He has also been fined in all the cases and will have to undergo additional simple imprisonment in case of failure to pay the same. All the substantive sentences will run concurrently.
The Special NIA Court convicted and sentenced accused Pradip Brahma to life imprisonment in July 2016. The trial against Upen is ongoing and the search for the absconding accused is continuing.
Investigations into the case revealed that Rabi Basumutary was a member of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), an armed separatist outfit.
The Special NIA Court subsequently registered the case as Special Case 05/2015 and the following are the details of the sentences given. Imprisonment for life and a fine of Rs. 1000/- (in default, simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month) under Section 302/34 of IPC, Rigorous imprisonment for 10 (ten) years and a fine of Rs. 1000/- (in default, simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month) under Section 307/34 of IPC. Imprisonment for life and a fine of Rs. 1000/- (in default simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month) 4 under Section 16(1)(a) UA(P) Act, 1967 and Rigorous imprisonment for 10 (ten) years and fine of Rs. 1000/- (in default simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month) under Section 20 of UA (P) Act, 1967. The sentences will run concurrently.
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