NEW DELHI: In a significant development related to the insurgency in the Northeast, Drishti Rajkhowa alias Major Rabha, the deputy commander-in-chief of the forbidden terror team, ULFA (I), surrendered on Wednesday along with his four bodyguards in the Red Horns Division of the Indian Army.
Rajkhowa, an expert on role-playing games, was the man Friday of Paresh Baruah, the commander-in-chief of Ulfa (I), who is currently hiding in China.
However, the surrender, considered a great success in the government’s efforts to eradicate the insurgency in the region, was the result of efforts initiated by Military Intelligence (MI) years ago. A leading source told The Times of India that one of the MI officers had been pursuing Rajkohwa for nine years.
“This surrender is not a development of a few days or the result of some kinetic operations that increase pressure. On the contrary, it took us nine years to achieve it. It is a great blow to the Baruah network,” said a senior official.
The MI officer, being a young captain, came into contact with the feared insurgent in 2011 and continued his communication with the insurgent all these years despite multiple transfers, another source said.
All these years the officer, ignoring his personal safety, kept chasing the insurgent into surrendering and returning to the mainstream.
In his numerous conversations, the officer managed to soften the insurgent’s rigid vision and convinced him that the insurgency is the greatest obstacle in the way of prosperity for the people in the region. Finally, Rajkhowa agreed to surrender a few days ago. “Narrated an intelligence officer.
MI staff in Delhi then drew up a detailed delivery plan under the supervision of the MI Director General (DGMI) after much deliberation to meet case-specific security and safety requirements.
The plan was carried out on the ground with the support of the Assam-based Indian Army’s Red Horns Division.
At midnight on November 11, the operation began. At around 9pm, Rajkhowa surrendered with an AK 81 assault rifle and two pistols. Later, they were transferred to an undisclosed location.
“This surrender is expected to open paths for other ULFA (I) cadres and other insurgent groups to follow in Rajkhowa’s footsteps and bring new hope to the region,” said another official.
Rajkohwa was the commander of Battalion 109 of the ULFA (I) until 2011. In November of that year, Paresh Baruah promoted him to the rank of deputy commander.
Rajkhowa was one of Paresh Baruah’s closest confidants and was responsible for several attacks in the northeast. Other than that, under the shadow of his boss, he was the mastermind behind the arms trade in the northeastern states and even Bangladesh. He had been hiding in the Bangladeshi city of Mymensingh, which is about 120 kilometers north of Dhaka.
Rajkhowa was one of the main arms suppliers to various insurgent groups. He used to travel frequently between Garo Hills in Meghalaya and Bangladesh for this purpose. The Garo insurgents considered him an honorary leader. He had survived many encounters and the last one was as recent as October 20 of this year.
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