NEW DELHI: Exposing the politician-bureaucrat-militant nexus in Assam, the National Investigation Agency (NIA) has filed a chargesheet in its first case against 14 persons including Dima Halam Daogah (J), also known as Black Widow, insurgents and elected members of the North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) for allegedly siphoning off development funds worth crores of rupees for “procurement of arms and ammunition from foreign arms dealers”.
In the chargesheet, filed in the special court for NIA cases in Guwahati last week, the agency has claimed to have “dug out evidence showing transfer of huge government funds through illegal channels and conversion of the same into foreign currency which was subsequently used for procurement of arms and ammunition”.
The nexus was unearthed following the arrest of two DHD (J) members with Rs 1 crore in cash early this year. The duo — Phojendra Hojai and Babul Kemprai — admitted before the Assam Police that the cash was handed over to them by the chief of NCHAC Mohit Hojai for securing arms for the outfit.
The case was subsequently handed over to NIA in June, considering the inter-state ramifications of the terror financing network in the northeast. Those who have been chargesheeted are chief of DHD (J) Jewel Garlosa and commander-in-chief of the outfit Niranjan Hojai, chief of the NCHAC Mohit Hojai (a politician), Mizo arms dealer Vanlal Chana, Mizo gunrunners Malsawmkimi (a woman) and George Lawmthang and state social welfare department deputy director R H Khan among others.
“During investigation, the NIA brought out evidence of siphoning off development funds allotted to the NCHAC in consequence of the nexus of terrorists of the DHD (J) group with the officers of the Council, private persons, politicians and contractors,” said a statement issued by the home ministry here on Sunday. Two of the accused had moved the Gauhati HC for bail which was rejected.
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