Guwahati NIA Court sentences Bodo militant to life imprisonment in 2014 Assam indiscriminate firing case

The National Investigation Agency (NIA) Special Court, Guwahati on Tuesday i.e. March 21, sentenced a Bodo militant namely Rabi Basumatary @ Rongjabaja @ Rabi to life imprisonment, along with rigorous imprisonment (RI) for 10 years, in a 2014 case of indiscriminate firing on villagers in Assam.

Rabi, who was convicted by the court on March 13, has been sentenced to life imprisonment in two cases and rigorous imprisonment in two others under Sections 302, 307, and 34 of the IPC and sections 16 (1) (a) & 20 of the UA (P) Act, 1967.

The Bodo militant has also been fined in all the cases, and will have to undergo additional simple imprisonment in case of failure to pay the same, said the NIA court, adding “all the substantive sentences will run concurrently.”

“The original chargesheet in the case was filed in Gossaigaon (Balapara), Assam, against accused Pradip Brahma @ Pwler in August 2015. A second supplementary chargesheet was filed in October 2019 against accused Upen Basumatary @ Usaobadao, while a third supplementary chargesheet was filed in January 2021 against five absconding accused persons. The Special NIA Court had convicted and sentenced accused Pradip Brahma @ Pwler to life imprisonment in July 2016. Trial against Upen is ongoing and the search for the absconding accused is continuing”, the NIA press release read.

Investigations in the present case revealed that Rabi Basumutary @ B.Rongjabaja was a member of the National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB), an armed separatist outfit fighting to obtain a sovereign Boroland for the Bodo people.

The agency’s press release stated that on May 1, 2014, Rabi along with six other NDFB cadres, had entered Balapra village of Kokrajhar district of Assam, where they opened indiscriminate fire on the villagers on instructions from top NDFB leadership headed by G.Bidai and Songbijit.

Rabi has been sentenced as follows:

• Section 302/34 of IPC - Imprisonment for life and fine of Rs. 1000/- {in default, simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month}
• Section 307/34 of IPC - Rigorous imprisonment for 10 (ten) years and fine of Rs. 1000/- {in default, simple imprisonment of 1(one) month}
• Section 16(1)(a) UA(P) Act, 1967 – Imprisonment for life and fine of Rs. 1000/- {in default simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month}
• Section 20 of UA (P) Act, 1967 - Rigorous imprisonment for 10 (ten) years and fine of Rs. 1000/- {in default simple imprisonment of 1 (one) month}.