ULFA militant gets lifer for killing two Assam cops

GUWAHATI - A court in Assam Thursday awarded life imprisonment to a militant of the outlawed United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) on charges of killing two policemen on duty 16 years ago.

The court found ULFA rebel Ronkur Dutta guilty of killing the two policemen in November 1993 in Lakhimpur district in eastern Assam.

After a lengthy trial, the designated court in Guwahati awarded life imprisonment to Ronkur Dutta and slapped a fine of Rs.2,000 on him for killing the two policemen, government counsel Pradip Gogoi said after the verdict.

The rebel accepted the verdict and said there was not much he can do now.

I would have to accept the court ruling, Dutta said as he was being taken to the prison from the court.

This is the third instance of a court sentencing ULFA militants to life imprisonment.