http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060219/asp/northeast/story_5865297.asp
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Mahanta in PIL excuse A STAFF REPORTER
http://www.telegraphindia.com/1060219/asp/northeast/story_5865297.asp
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Mahanta: Seeks exemption |
Guwahati, Feb. 18: Former Assam chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta today sought to be exempted from deposing before the Justice K.N. Saikia Commission, which is probing the so-called secret killings that occurred during his tenure at Dispur.
Mahanta argued that he has been made a party in a public interest litigation (PIL) which has been filed in the apex court to seek a CBI probe into the killings.
He contended that since the Supreme Court has issued a notice to him on the PIL, the matter is now sub judice and so he should be exempted from appearing before the one-man inquiry commission till the apex court disposes of the PIL.
Mahanta presented his plea when the commission was hearing government witnesses in connection with the attempt on the life of Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad leader Ananta Kalita by "secret killers" in 1999.
Apart from Mahanta, the Supreme Court has also issued notices to the Centre and the Assam government.
"During counter-insurgency operations, many persons were killed either by the security forces or by militant groups. The term secret killings is baseless and politically motivated. Neither the Centre nor the state government is involved in the killings of the family members of Ulfa militants," Mahanta told mediapersons.
He claimed that the Tarun Gogoi government succumbed to political pressure and rejected the interim report of the J.N. Sarma Commission that give him a clean chit after probing the "secret killings".
"The issue of secret killings is now being used to ruin my political career as Saurav Baurah, the man behind Aalok, the NGO that filed the PIL in the Supreme Court, is a Congress man," Mahanta said.
He again came out in support of the demand for a CBI inquiry, as sought by the NGO.
Pranab Goswami, political secretary of Mahantas party, the Asom Gana Parishad (Progressive), pointed out that the party president had written to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh seeking a CBI probe into the secret killings.
So far, Dispur has constituted three inquiry commissions to probe the killings, but they have not succeeded in finding out the truth.
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