Poonam Nath

ULFA leaders among 31 acquitted in Assam's 35-year-old TADA trial

Digital Desk: One of Assam's longest-running trials under the strict Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act (TADA) law came to an end on Wednesday when the special TADA court handed down its verdict in a 35-year-old case after nearly 25 years of trial proceedings.

The case, which was first filed at the Dispur Police Station in 1991 under Case No. 1/1991, resulted in the acquittal of 31 defendants. Creating terror, extortion, and other illegal activities were among the charges.

United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) leaders Anup Chetia, Pradip Gogoi, Arabinda Rajkhowa, Munin Nobis, Kalpajyoti Neog, Raju Barua, Sashadhar Choudhury, Sunil Nath, and Anadar Thakuria were among the prominent individuals acquitted, along with several others.

Chetia expressed relief upon hearing the verdict, stating, "We are satisfied with the judgement." The court cleared us because the government was unable to produce legitimate documentation.

Chetia also revealed that there is still a pending TADA case involving 10–11 defendants. "Although there were many more people involved in today's case, we still have another TADA case left," he continued.

Similar opinions were expressed by Arabinda Rajkhowa, another senior ULFA leader. "We awaited this decision for many years. The judges have our gratitude. But we still have one more case against us," he stated.

Section 10(3) of the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA), Sections 3 and 4 of the TADA Act, and several sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) were all used in the case. In 2001, the trial officially got underway.

The acquittal of all 31 accused persons brings an end to a decades-old case that once represented the state's tumultuous insurgency period, marking an important chapter in Assam's legal and political history.