A CBI court Monday convicted 14 accused, including National
Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) chief Ranjan Daimary, in the 2008
Assam serial blast case. The NDFB is an armed separatist outfit that
seeks Boroland, an autonomous region for the Bodo people. It is
designated as a terrorist organisation by the Ministry of Home Affairs.
The quantum of punishment will be pronounced on January 30.
TD Goswami, special public prosecutor, told The Indian Express,
“There were two chargesheets — one for 19 accused and another for three
others. Seven accused are absconding — of which, it has learnt
unofficially, at least two are no more. We have produced 650 witnesses
in the case and 687 documentary evidence. Quantum of punishment will be
announced on January 30.”
NS Yadav, CBI’s investigating officer of the case, told The Indian
Express, “We have got conviction for all 15. We have demanded death
penalty.”
In October 2008, at least 90 people were killed and over 300 were
injured in multiple blasts in Assam. The accused rigged two Maruti 800
cars and motorbikes with explosives and parked them strategically at
nine locations.
The blasts were triggered in a synchronised fashion across Assam
before noon. The first explosion occurred hardly 300 metres from then
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi’s office.
Around the same time, bombs also went off in crowded marketplaces of Kokrajhar, Bongaigaon and Barpeta districts in lower Assam.
[Indian Express]
