The Gawahati high court on Friday granted interim bail for a period of four months to the two top leaders of Dimasa tribe militant group Dima Halam Daogah (J) -- chairman Jewel Garlosa and Commander-in-chief Niranjan Hojai -- after perusing affidavits filed by Assam government and National Investigation Agency.
One of the counsels for the militant leaders informed that a two-member division bench of the high court granted four-month interim bail to the DHD-J leaders.
The court examined affidavits filed by Assam government and the NIA.
The Assam government stated that it had no abjection to granting bail to the militant leaders in the interest of materialising peace talks with the outfit which had surrendered arms over a year ago.
Earlier, the NIA Special Court here had rejected bail petitions of the two top leaders of the DHD(J) in two cases related to anti-national activities and siphoning of development funds meant for Dima Hasao district (erstwhile North Cachar hill district) of the state in collusion with politicians and bureaucrats.
The NIA had charge sheeted both militant leaders as prime accused in two cases (No 1/09 and 2/09) for anti-national activities.
Over 400 members of the DHD(J) laid down arms on October 2, 2009 in the wake of arrest of their top leaders and agreed for peace talks with the government of India.
The cadres are now lodged in truce time designated camps in Dima Hasao Hill district. Jewel Garlosa was arrested in a special operation by Assam Police from Bangalore in June 2009 while Niranjan Hojai was later arrested from Kathmandu.
