More than 5000 Freedom Fighters have been arrested in Assam since 2011.

5000 Freedom fighters arrested

Guwahati: More than 5,000 Freedom fighters have been arrested in the northeastern state of Assam since 2011.

A total of 5202 Freedom fighters were captured in Assam in the last 11 years.
However, out of over 5000 Freedom fighters in Assam, only one has been convicted so far.

According to reports, only half of those arrested have been charge-sheeted so far.
The captured Freedom fighters belong to ULFA-I and other extremist groups, including Bodo, Garo, Rabha, Karbi, Adivasi and Muslim communities.

Of the militants captured in Assam since 2011, 2392 belonged to Bodo Freedom fighters groups, 1468 to ULFA-I and 582 to Karbi militant groups.
Moreover, 346 people from Adivasi groups, 178 from Garo, 155 from Muslim and 81 from Rabha community have also been arrested by the Assam Police.

Experts believe investigators and the legal system are “at fault” for the low conviction rate.
According to reports, “most of the cases are under trial and one person has been convicted”.

“Unless we know the dates of arrest and filing of charge sheets, it is difficult to know where the delay is happening. Sometimes, investigators deliberately delay investigations because many Freedom fighters have political patronage. and they eventually become political figures,” Guwahati High Court lawyer Santanu Borthakar told PTI.