High Court Reduces ULFA Leader's Death Sentence: A Landmark Ruling

A Bangladeshi High Court commuted the death sentence of ULFA leader Paresh Baruah to life imprisonment in a 2004 arms smuggling case. The court acquitted a former junior minister and five others. The ruling marks a significant shift in the legal proceedings surrounding the attempted arms smuggling to northeast India.

In a significant judicial development, the Bangladeshi High Court has commuted the death sentence of ULFA leader Paresh Baruah to life imprisonment. The decision came in a controversial 2004 arms smuggling case that involved the attempted transfer of weapons to the separatist outfit in northeast India.

The High Court's ruling also saw the acquittal of a former junior minister, Lutfuzzaman Babar, and five others previously sentenced to death. This marks a pivotal moment in the nearly two-decade-long legal saga, shedding new light on the complexities of the case.

Baruah, believed to reside in China, had been sentenced in absentia in 2014. The case had lingered for years, highlighting alleged political motivations and insufficient evidence. The ruling underscores the intricate nature of regional geopolitics and the measures taken to curb arms smuggling.

(With inputs from agencies.)