New Delhi : Close on the heels of underworld don Chhota Rajan’s deportation from Indonesia, India has managed to secure the custody of Anup Chetia, the jailed General Secretary of the outlawed militant group, the United Liberation Front of Assom, from Bangladesh. Chetia, who had fled India, was arrested by the Bangladesh police in 1997 and sent to jail for seven years for sneaking across the border, carrying fake passports and illegal possession of foreign currencies. After his jail term lapsed, a court in Bangladesh asked authorities to keep him in custody till a decision was taken on his asylum plea. The Indian government was pressing for his deportation for over two decades but successive governments in Bangladesh refused to play along in the absence of an extradition treaty. Finally, the thaw came with the personal intervention of Prime Minister Narendra Modi, resulting in Chetia’s unconditional deportation.
Chetia was handed over to the CBI early Wednesday by Bangladesh authorities. The move is likely to give a fillip to peace talks: Chetia favours dialogue and so does ULFA chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, who had surrendered in 2009. If both come on board, it will help isolate the hardliners led by ULFA commander Paresh Barua, who happens to be Chetia’s cousin. Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Wednesday spoke to his Bangladesh counterpart Sheikh Hasina after the ULFA leader’s deportation and thanked her for assistance in the fight against terrorism. “He wished PM Hasina on Diwali and thanked her for the help in fighting terrorism,” the Prime Minister’s office said in a tweet. Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh on Wednesday, in a statement, welcomed the handing over of Chetia, saying it reflected the neighbouring country’s commitment and maturity to cooperate on issues like terror and organized crime.
