Ready for talks, can make cadres surrender: Daimary to CBI

Ranjan Daimary, terror mastermind and leader of the outlawed National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), has said he is ready for peace talks and would be able to make his commanders and cadres surrender if New Delhi was keen for negotiations.

"Ranjan Daimary said he was interested in holding talks and even mentioned that he could make his followers surrender in the event of any political negotiations," Superintendent of Police (CBI) NS Kharayat said in an exclusive interview.

The NDFB leader talked of negotiations with the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) official during three days of intense interrogation at the Assam Police Special Branch headquarters in Guwahati.

Kharayat was the CBI officer who conducted a probe into the nine serial explosions October 30, 2008, in Assam that killed about 100 people and injured more than 500.

The CBI in May last year filed a chargesheet into the wave of bombings with Daimary named as the prime accused along with 18 other NDFB leaders.

"He has confessed that the serial bombings was his handiwork and that there was no other group or individuals like the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) or the HuJI (Harkat-ul-Jihad Islami) behind the blasts," Kharayat said.

Daimary was handed over by Bangladesh to Indian authorities May 1 and is now in the custody of Assam Police. His 14-day police remand expires May 14.

"The planning for the bombings was done in June 2008 and in September Daimary had sent two of his men from Bangladesh to work out the logistics for carrying out the blast," the CBI official said.

"Daimary said he wanted to demonstrate the strength of the NDFB to New Delhi, but did not have an inkling that the explosions would lead to large scale casualties. But he showed no signs of regret or remorse during interrogation."

The CBI is now planning to seek custody of the terrorist leader after May 14.

"The NDFB has still about 64 cadres at a camp in the Khagrechheri area of Bangladesh, while they have 34 cadres at a base in Myanmar," Kharayat quoted Daimary as saying during interrogation.

The CBI official described Daimary as a "calm and intelligent" person.

"He never gets perplexed during interrogation," Kharayat said.

Back in Bangladesh, Daimary, his wife Leena, and two children - a 14-year-old son and an 11-year-old daughter - led a luxurious life, having stayed in Dhaka and other parts of that country for the past nearly 15 years.

"He had a Toyota Corolla, a driver, servant, and stayed at a rented accommodation. Obviously they led a luxurious life," Kharayat said.

"But he has now realised the game is over and hence talking of peace talks, although we are taking his words with a pinch of salt."