ULFA leaders' families to be released soon: Gogoi

Assam government on Monday announced that the wives and children of arrested United Liberation Front of Asom leaders chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, deputy commander-in-chief Raju Baruah, foreign secretary Sasadhar Choudhury were under police security and would be released soon as there was no case registered against the spouses; although they were members of the women wing of the outfit.

Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Monday informed that the family members of these senior ULFA leaders, who were arrested recently along India-Bangladseh border on being pushed back from Bangladesh, were in the custody of Assam police for security reasons, as there was apprehension that anti-ULFA forces might pose threat to their lives.

The family members included ULFA chairman's wife Kaberi Kachari Konwar (42), daughter Khanchangbohagi Rajkonwar, son Gadadhar Rajkonwar (10); deputy commander in chief's wife Nirala Neog (32) and her daughter Pragati Kalita; ULFA foreign secretary's wife Runima Chetia Choudhury and their daughter Sirir Anar Choudhury.

"The family members are free to go anywhere if they wish to, as there are no cases registered against them," Chief Minister Gogoi said. When pointed out that wives of ULFA leaders were members of the women wing of the outfit, the CM said that the women wing of the outfit was not an outlawed organization.

However, Pranati Deka, wife of another recently arrested ULFA leader Chitrabon Hazarika, is lodged in the Guwahati jail for years as she happened to be the cultural secretary of the banned outfit and a member of the central executive committee of the organisation.