| Anup Chetia | |
|---|---|
| Born | Golap Baruah 1967 Jerai Gaon, Tinsukia, Assam |
| Alias(es) | Sunil Barua, Bhaijan or Ahmed |
| Charge(s) | Killing Kidnapping Extortion Terrorism |
| Conviction(s) | Illegally entering Bangladesh using a forged passport, Possession of illegal foreign currency from 16 different countries, The illegal possession of arms. |
| Penalty | 7 years imprisonment |
| Status | In prison |
Anup Chetia (Assamese: অনুপ চেতীয়া) (real name Golap Baruah[1][2][3] also known as Sunil Baruah, Bhaijan or Ahmed[4]) is the General Secretary of the banned United Liberation Front of Asom in Assam. He is also one of the founder leaders of the group.[2][5] He was born at Jerai Gaon in Tinsukia district of Assam.[1][4]
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Chetia was first arrested in March, 1991 in Assam but was released by then Chief Minister Hiteswar Saikia.[4] Later on December 21, 1997 he was again arrested in Dhaka[1][3][4] under the Foreigners Act and the Passports Act[3] for illegally carrying foreign currencies and a satellite phone.[1] He was sentenced to seven years of imprisonment by a Bangladeshi court[2] and was being held at Kashimpur Jail in the outskirts of Dhaka.[1][2][5]
Chetia was charged with:
He was also a wanted by the Assam Police for various cases including killing, kidnapping and extortion.[2]
Since his arrest in 1997, the Government of India has asked Bangladesh to extradite Chetia.[2][3] The request was refused by Bangladesh on the ground that the two countries do not have an extradition treaty.[2] However, India is still hopeful that the Sheikh Hasina government would accede to the request in view of its tough resolve against terrorism.[3]
On December 7, 2008, Chetia had written to the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees urging it to grant him refugee status and political asylum in Bangladesh.[1][3] In a letter to António Guterres, head of the Geneva based UNHCR, Chetia pleaded that he had already completed seven years of imprisonment and hence was no longer a convict to be held in a jail. ULFA also appealed for political asylum in a safe country.[1]
Although Chetia was the General Secretary of ULFA, political analysts in the region doubt his current influence within the organization.[2]