14 convicted for serials blasts in Assam in 2008

A special court here on Monday convicted 14 of the 15 accused in the CBI case related to serial bomb blasts in Assam on October 30, 2008, which had left 88 dead and 141 injured.

Among those convicted include Ranjan Daimary, chairman of NDFB, a banned militant group and two women cadres of the outfit. Daimary is in peace talks with the government and is out on bail since June 2013.

CBI's special public prosecutor, T D Goswami told DH here that the court of justice A K Chakraborty convicted the accused and fixed on Wednesday for pronouncing the quantum of punishment.

The near-simultaneous blasts in Guwahati, Kokrajhar, Barpeta Road and Bongaigaon on October 30, 2008, had created the mayhem, which has been termed as the deadliest militant attack so far in the state’s nearly 40-year-long militancy history.

Assam had erupted in anger and protest against militancy and all called for strictest action against those involved in the attacks. Governments have also faced criticism for delay in justice and even for releasing Daimary on bail before the verdict of the case.

The CBI, which had taken over the investigation of the case from the Assam Police in December 2008, had chargesheeted 22 accused, including Daimary, in 2011. Of the 22, three were dead and four absconding.

Goswami said they had produced 650 witnesses and 686 documents in support of their plea for the death sentence for all the accused.

Defence lawyer, Manas Sarania said one accused, Mridul Goyari was acquitted due to lack of sufficient evidence. The accused have been convicted under various sections of IPC, Explosives Substance Act and Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The convicted accused are Ranjan Daimary, George Boro, Ajoy Basumatary, Rahul Brahma, Rajen Goyari, Mothuram Brahma, Raju Sarkar, Prabhat Boro, Onsai Boro, Nilim Daimary, Indra Brahma, Lokra Basumatary, Jayanti Brahma and B. Thorai.

While victim families hoped for exemplary punishments to all convicts, Ranjan’s sister Anjali Daimary said peace process and such conviction can not go together. “If the government is sincere about peace talks, such conviction can not go together. This may hamper the peace process,” she said outside the court premises.