GUWAHATI: President of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) – Dipen Boro – has reportedly demanded the release of the ‘mastermind’ of the 2008 Assam bombings – Ranjan Daimary.
The ABSU chief reportedly made this demand during a review meeting of the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) pact, which was held in New Delhi on Tuesday (January 10).
Besides demanding release of the ‘mastermind’ of the 2008 Assam bombings – Ranjan Daimary, ABSU president Dipen Boro also reportedly demanded implementation of the clauses of the BTR agreement by 2024.
Ranjan Daimary alias DR Nabla (Ransaigra Nabla Daimary) is the founder president of the now-disbanded armed separatist outfit National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB).
In January 2019, Ranjan Daimary and 13 others were convicted for 2008 Assam bombings, where Daimary and 9 others were sentenced to life imprisonment by the special court of the central bureau of investigation (CBI).
2008 ASSAM BOMBINGS
The 2008 Assam bombings occurred on October 30, 2008, before noon in markets in Guwahati city and the surrounding area of western Assam.
Reports indicated as many as eighteen bombs went off, causing at least 81 deaths and 470 injuries.
The bomb blasts ripped apart Guwahati, Barpeta Road, Bongaigaon and Kokrajhar in Assam.
The explosions in Guwahati ripped through Pan Bazar, Fancy Bazar and Ganeshguri, which were crowded with shoppers and office goers.
Three blasts occurred in Kokrajhar, with another possible grenade explosion; one in Bongaigaon and two in Barpeta Road.
The bomb at Ganeshguri in Guwahati city was planted in a car and took place about 100 meters from the official residence of then Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi.
In Guwahati city of Assam, 41 people were killed; in Kokrajhar, 21; and in Barpeta Road, 15.
On November 2, four more succumbed to their injuries. Three died at Gauhati Medical College Hospital, while another died at the Basistha Army Hospital.
Police officials had stated that huge amounts of explosives like RDX or other plastic explosives, like C4, were used as a fire erupted immediately following the blasts.
Timers were also speculated to have been used to execute the blasts, which were seen with timing almost to perfection as the blasts took place within a short span of 15 minutes.
On the same day a convoy of police cars in Assam came under fire from rebels resulting in seven police and three civilian casualties.
The National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) engineered the Assam bombings based on orders issued by its founder and chief, Rajan Daimary, in September 2008.