Ulfa’s Anup Chetia is out of jail, boost to N-E peace efforts

In a significant move, top Ulfa leader and founder general secretary Anup Chetia, alias Golap Baruah, was freed from Guwahati’s central jail on Thursday after a court granted him bail Wednesday in the last of four cases filed against him. However, he cannot leave Assam without the court’s permission. Mr Chetia had been deported to India from Bangladesh in November.

It is learnt that Mr Chetia was allowed to get bail, and the state did not oppose his release, to enable him to take part in the ongoing peace process with a breakaway faction of Ulfa.

The pro-talk Ulfa faction earlier made it clear they would not hold further talks with the government unless Mr Chetia was released.