Anup Chetia fails to pay fine, stays in jail

Chetia, general secretary of the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), was arrested along with associates Babul Sharma and Laxmi Prasad Goswami from a Mohammadpur house on December 21, 1997.

A Dhaka court last year sentenced them with the jail term and fine for possessing a satellite phone and the punishment took effect from the day of their arrest.

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The court verdict said they would have to serve another six months of imprisonment on non-payment of the fine.

Meanwhile, the High Court division of the Supreme Court on Saturday directed the government to keep Chetia in safe custody until a decision on his application for political asylums in Bangladesh.

The court also directed the government to show reasons why his application would not be settled soon.

The direction came when Barrister Sigma Huda of Bangladesh Manabadhikar Bastobayan Sangstha moved a petition in the HC for the safety of some foreign citizens including Chetia.

Chetia sought political asylums, saying his life was threatened in India.

Anup and his associates were also awarded varying jail terms in three other cases for possessing forged passports, illegal staying in Bangladesh concealing their identity and possessing foreign currencies.

They served out the jail terms concurrently.