CBI special court awarded life imprisonment to 10 accused in October serial blast

Guwahati: The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) special court on Wednesday has awarded life imprisonment to the 10 accused in the October 30, 2008 serial bomb blast including National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) Chief Ranjan Daimary.

The special court on January 28 has convicted 14 accused in the bomb blast and today the court has awarded life imprisonment to ten accused and three others were sentenced to 10 years of imprisonment and a penalty of Rs. 5000 for each count they have been convicted on. The three namely Prabhat Bodo, Jayanti Basumatary and Mathura Brahma will be released after they pay the fine since they have already undergone prison term as undertrial.

Besides Daimary, George Bodo, Ajay Basumatary, Khargeshwar Basumatary, Rajendra Gayari and Onsai Bodo were also sentenced to rigorous imprisonment and imposed a fine of Rs. 10, 000 each on each counts for committing the offences punishable under Sections 120-B and 302 IPC, Section 3 (b) of the Explosives Substances Act, 1908 and Sections 10 (b) (1) and 16 (1) (a) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention), Act, 1967.

The court has convicted 14 accused in the October 2008 serial bomb blast in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta which killed 88 people and 500 others injured.

CBI special Judge Aparesh Chakrabarty pronounced the quantum of punishment amid tight security in the court premises. The court has ordered the release of Nilim Daimary and Mridul Goyary by imposing fine of Rs. 200 as they have already served their sentence.

The General Secretary of NDFB B Ohnjalu in a statement given to media stated that in view of the conviction of its Chief Ranjan Daimary, the outfit would be forced to reconsider the purpose of peace process and re-evaluate the earnestness of the Central Government in case its President is sent to jail and appealed to the Centre that the judgement declared on Wednesday should not derail the peace process and its Chief should be released on bail to take part in the peace process.

The NDFB Chief Daimary has been engaged in the peace process since 2013. Daimary was apprehended in Bangladesh in December 2009 and was handed over to the Government of India in 2010 after which he got arrested.

Also Read: CBI special court convicts Ranjan Daimary and 14 others for October 30 bomb blast