Court rejects KN Saikia commission report, relief to Prafulla Kr Mahanta

Gauhati High Court on Monday rejected the Justice ( retd) KN Saikia Commission report.The Court verdict on the report of Saikia Commission was considered as great relief to former chief minister Prafulla Kr. Mahanta.

The Justice( retd) KN Saikia Commission was constituted by Gogoi Governmen in 2005 to inquire into the incident of secret killings of ULFA leaders and their kins allegedly by security forces with support from Prafulla Mahanta led AGP Government.

The Justice( retd) KN Saikia Commission has indicted the former Chief Minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta, the then police hierarchy and the Home Ministry for the "extra-constitutional killings" which occurred in Assam during 1998-2001.

Incidentally, Mahanta had filed challenging the validity of the Justice (retd) K.N. Saikia Commission constituted by the Congress government to probe into the secret killings.

Initially, the Gogoi government had asked the K.N. Saikia Commission to probe 11 major cases of secret killings that took place during the AGP rule. Later, 24 more cases were included.

The report of the Commission, constituted by the Congress government to probe the "secret killings" of family members of leaders and cadres of the United Liberation Front of Asom, was tabled in the Assembly by chief minister Tarun Gogoi.

About the motive behind the "secret killings," the Commission said it was "perpetuation of the AGP rule by villainy, treachery and monstrous cruelty and dangerous propensity."

The common characteristics of the cases and evidence "prove beyond reasonable doubt, remote orchestration of killing from the Home Ministry, through police-SULFA [surrendered ULFA] nexus using some SULFAs as the striking arms or executioners. The authority may be held liable and be dealt with according to law."

According to Secret Killings of Assam, a book by Mrinal Talukdar, Utpal Borpujari and Kaushik Deka, "The Saikia Commission was notified on August 2005. His brief was to go deep into the main cases and find out the truth. He did go deep into the issue, summoned hundreds of police officers, victims, Sulfa leaders and journalists over the course of the two-yearlong trial of the most complex and inter-linked criminal case of the region". "The Justice K.N. Saikia Inquiry Commission report held the state police responsible for its supporting role in the killings. It also pointed a finger towards then chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta," the book says.