DHAKA, July 21: A Dhaka court has begun hearing of a case against Anup Chetia, general secretary of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) for illegal possession of foreign currencies, reports PTI. Chetia and his two associates were produced in the designated Dhaka court today amidst tight security. If convicted the accused may face death sentence or rigorous imprisonment between two to 14 years. The prosecution lawyer Mohammad Jahangir told the court that investigation report, the chargesheet and subsequent deposition by government witnesses established the charges against the...

NEW DELHI, July 21: The Centre is willing to open a dialogue with the outlawed ULFA only if the outfit suspends all operations in the state. This was conveyed to a delegation of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) by the Ministry of Home Affairs (MHA) officials here today. But what came as a surprise to the AJYCP members led by its president and general secretary, Dilip Patgiri and Apurba Kumar Bhattacharjee was the offer by the MHA, to the students body, to take an initiative in mediating between the Union Government and the ULFA. The delegation had called on the MHA to...

GUWAHATI, July 21: Worried by the recent Bhutan Government move to launch a full scale Army operation against the ultras, the leadership of the banned ULFA has geared up its security. The ULFA camps which are located at Deothang, Koipani, Sarbhang and Samdrup Jongkhar areas of Bhutan are being equipped with powerful landmines keeping in view a massive operation. The leadership of the rebel group is understood to have directed Pradyut Gohain to increase 'arsenal power' of the seven battalion located at Sukhni area. The self-styled Captain Gohain along with 40-odd soldiers are guarding the seven...

NEW DELHI, July 21: The Centre has not taken any decision yet on extending the ceasefire with the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (IM), due to expire on July 31, but will permit the NSCN to open a ceasefire monitoring cell for a period of one year, a Home Ministry spokesman said here today, reports UNI. 'The decision on extending the ceasefire is yet to be taken," the spokesman said. He declined to comment when asked whether allowing opening of ceasefire monitoring cell for one year indicated that it would be extended. The decision was taken at a meeting at Dimapur, between a high-level...

KOHIMA, July 20: Centre on Wednesday told Nagaland government in no uncertain terms that non-lapsable pool of Central resources will be made available to the state subject to the condition of maintenance of transparency in project implementation and utilisation certificate by the state government of funds released under the same head for the last two years, reports PTI. Reviewing the development activities taken up under the Centre's new initiative for the region with departmental heads, the Additional Secretary of the Union Home Ministry, PS Shenoy told the government officials the Centre had...