Assam govt to withdraw ‘D’ voter cases against Koch Rajbongshis
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Friday, calling it a "historic decision" aimed at correcting long-standing grievances of the indigenous community.
A special National Investigation Agency (NIA) court has sentenced two more individuals in the Ansarullah Bangla Team (ABT) case, increasing the total number of convicted accused to nine.
The court sentenced Mufti Suleiman Ali and Imran Hossen to imprisonment and fines under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) and the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act (UAPA).
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Ali and Hossen were sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment under IPC Section 120(B) and fined Rs 500, with an additional 14 days of imprisonment in case of non-payment.
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Additionally, they received rigorous imprisonment for the period they had already served—two years, eight months, and 21 days—under UAPA Sections 20, 38, and 39.
The case dates back to March 2022, when an ABT module with links to the banned international terror organization Al-Qaeda in the Indian Subcontinent (AQIS) was uncovered in Assam’s Barpeta district.
The module was led by Bangladeshi national Saiful Islam, who, along with his associates, was allegedly involved in radicalizing youth and setting up sleeper cells in the region.
The NIA initially filed a chargesheet against eight individuals in August 2022, followed by a supplementary chargesheet against two more in August 2023. With the latest verdict, a total of nine individuals have now been convicted in the case.
Last week, two more accused were sentenced, while in a separate ruling on Wednesday, the NIA court sentenced Mamunur Rashid to three years of rigorous imprisonment and a Rs 1,000 fine. Rashid was also given one month of simple imprisonment under Section 19 of UAPA and three months under IPC Section 120(B).
Another accused, Mukibul Hussain, was sentenced to six months of simple imprisonment and a Rs 500 fine, with additional imprisonment under UAPA.
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