Tripura government will withdraw pending cases against former extremists to comply with standing policy to encourage surrender. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar informed the current session of State assembly that withdrawing of court cases has been a major condition of strategy to lure extremists to lay down arms and join mainstream of life.
The Chief Minister was responding to a question by senior Congress MLA Ratan Lal Nath.
The Joint Action Committee, apex organisation of former extremists from different groups, allege that several hundred returnees have not received the assured rehabilitation package after surrender and that they are suffering more due to pending court cases.
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Chief Minister Sarkar reminded that freeing the extremists from legal proceedings has been a pre-condition to encourage the extremists to surrender and this is a policy of the central government too. “However those connected with crime against women cannot be withdrawn without proper investigation as per guidelines of the Supreme Court”, he asserted.
He added that “Withdrawal of cases against militants is not happening only in Tripura, but also in other states. We all want that peace is permanently restored and the extremists shun path of violence”.