Jan. 2: Assam police today moved the chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup for a production warrant against the arrested vice-president of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) even as Sikkim police produced their prize catch in the court of the district sessions judge (east and north) in Gangtok. Dhiren Boro, his wife and accomplices have been booked under four Sections of the Prevention of Terrorism Act (POTA). It is the first instance of the legislation being employed in Sikkim. The militant leader and his wife Pratima, also an NDFB member, had been living in Gangtok for over a year. Sikkim police arrested them yesterday along with two accomplices — Babloo Sargari and Prabin Boro — during a raid on their rented flat.
The deputy inspector general of Sikkim police, S.D. Negi, told The Telegraph that the court had remanded the arrested persons to police custody for 12 days.
In Assam, the inspector general of the special branch, Khagen Sharma, said a police team would leave for Gangtok to bring back Boro as soon the chief judicial magistrate of Kamrup issued a production warrant.
On the use of POTA in the cases against the NDFB vice-president, Sharma said it did not matter to Assam what law had been invoked by Sikkim police. “We will not stop trying to bring him back for interrogation just because POTA is not applicable in Assam. The NDFB leader can be tried in Sikkim in accordance with the provisions of the Act, while Assam has the right to try him separately.”
Most residents of Sikkim appeared surprised on hearing the news of Boro’s arrest because the state is one of the few in the country that has not witnessed any militant activity.
Director-general of police T.N. Tenzing had, however, said before taking over from his predecessor a month ago that the state’s police department should not be complacent. “I did not expect my prediction to come true so soon,” he said in Gangtok.
Tenzing said the police force was being modernised and trained for the challenges that lie ahead.
Boro’s arrest followed the arrest of two suspected NDFB rebels from a forest in Alipurduar. On November 26 last year, the special operations unit of the Assam police had arrested NDFB general secretary Gobinda Basumatary, alias B. Swmkhwr, at Rangiya railway station in Kamrup district.
Boro had been living in Gangtok with his wife and their two children. The police said Pratima was a trained activist of the NDFB. The couple’s four-year-old daughter is studying at Holy Cross School in Tadong. They had a son two-and-a-half months ago.
The police recovered explosive material and two live grenades from the flat. A cellphone and a computer with e-mail addresses of the people the rebel leader was in touch with were also seized.
Boro, who also doubled as the military and organisation secretary of the NDFB, had been living under the name of Bipul Sonowal in Gangtok and claimed that he was a fruit merchant and stockbroker.
Those living in the locality said the family kept to themselves and did not mingle with neighbours.