Guwhathi, June 14: In a major development, the Gauhati High Court on Tuesday gave clean chit to former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta in ‘secret killings’ (extra judicial killing) case.

Justice Mitali Thakuria ordered, “Thus, we are of the view that the application for condonation of delay is not based on bonafide assertions and grounds and hence, the same does not merit acceptance. As a consequence, the I.A.(Civil) No.1778/2021 is dismissed as being devoid of merit. 13. As the prayer for condonation of delay has been refused, the connected writ appeal [W.A. No.4423/2021 (Filing Number)], which is yet to be numbered, would fail automatically”.

In 2018 Gauhati High held that the constitution of K. N Saikia commission was not valid. This extra judicial killing of family members of ULFA militants has seen as many as four commissions of inquiry, the Safikul Haq commission was set up by the Mahanta government. Then there was Mira Sarma commission followed by J.N Sarma and Saikia commission.

In 2007, Former chief minister Tarun Gogoi tabled both the reports of the commission of inquiry on extrajudicial or secret killing. The Saikia commission in its findings has indicted former chief minister, Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and home ministry for the extra judicial killing which rocked the state.

The Saikia commission stated that in all the cases, except that of the Ananta Kalita, there is remote orchestrated Ulfocide, death penalty having been imposed on the victims for “status offences” of being members of ULFA or ULFA related families.

What is Secret Killing ?

In the late 1990S, secret killing referred to unidentified killing of family members of ULFA militants. During 1996-2001, there were a series of such killings and the killers have not yet been identified. However, Congress often accused Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), which was ruling Assam during the period, of orchestrating the killings.

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