Assam: NDFB-S militant nabbed in Kokrajhar

GUWAHATI, February 15, 2018: NIA- The National Investigation Agency has arrested wanted NDFB (S) militant Swadab Brahma, alias Swadab Rava, in connection with its probe into the killing of five persons – including two minors – at Pakriguri in Kokrahjar district in 2014.

NIA official said, "Swadab was arrested from Jugibasti village in Sonitpur in a joint operation with CRPF Cobra battalion. NIA will seek his custody".

The premier investigation agency on February 3 in a supplementary charge sheet in the case has named Swadab as a prime accused along with the elusive military chief of NDFB (S) G Bidai alias Bishnu, deputy chief M Batha alias Binod and one Saolen. NIA has filed charge sheets against a total of 18 persons in the case.

Myanmar-trained Swadab was allegedly part of a 14-member heavily armed 'terror squad' that reached Pakriguri village and opened fire on the villagers. They were reportedly operating under orders from their leaders Bidai and Batha.

NIA in the charge sheet said, "They reached the house of an Adivasi villager, where two children and a woman were residing. One of the militants asked them to come out but seeing them with arms, the residents tried to hide inside their kaccha house. Militants shot at least 30 rounds with AK 56 and HK33 rifles on them. Two died on the spot". NIA officials added that the militants then attacked other houses and showered bullet indiscriminately for about 10 minutes and killing others before leaving the spot.

More than 70 people, mostly from the Adivasi community, were shot dead by the outfit in a series of killings on the same evening across several places in the BTAD area. Following the incident, security forces launched a massive operation against NDFB(S) outfit in which around 50 cadres were killed and 873 others were nabbed. At least 15 AK-56 rifles, 10 AK-47s, two M-16, two HKs, seven Insas rifles, 495 rounds of ammunition, 21 grenades and 81 kg of explosives were seized during the operation.

However, the two- Bidai and Batha continued to evade arrest and are suspected to have been hiding in Bhutan.

Source: The Times of India

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