Imphal, Jun 06: The drama surrounding the allegations and counter allegations over the surrender of militants to the Assam Rifles authority has taken a new turn, with the Screening Committee branding a purported militant who surrendered before the 3 Corp Commander Lt Gen ZU Shah on March 13 this year as an impostor.

Following the pronouncement of the Screening Committee the said surrendered militant has been handed over to the police.

Disclosing this to The Sangai Express, a highly reliable source said one, Md Hussain alias Sanahal of Paobitek in Thoubal district who surrendered as an RPF cadre on March 13 this year at Mantripukhri before the 3 Corp Commander was branded as a fake by the Screening Committee.

The fake militant first surrendered before the 37 Assam Rifles on March 26 this year along with a 9 mm pistol and magazine.

Following the disclosure of the Screening Committee, Hussain was handed over to Imphal police station yesterday.

The Screening Committee headed by the IGP (Intelligence) as Chairman with representatives from the Army, Central para-military force and State police pulled the mask off the impostor during a screening test conducted yesterday, said the source further.

Following the rejection by the Screening Committee, the Assam Rifles authority handed Hussain over to the Imphal police station yesterday.

Hussain was produced before the Chief Judicial Magistrate, Chandel on May 2 this year after his father, Hessamuddin filed a Habeas Corpus with the Gauhati High Court seeking his release from the custody of the Assam Rifles.

On being produced before the Court, Hussain declared that he would like to remain with the Assam Rifles and has since been staying with them.

A case has been registered against Hussain and the same has been transferred to Chandel police for further course of action.

Police source said that the case registered against Hussain include the Arms Act and Cheating.

Even though it is clearly laid down in the rules of the Revised Scheme for Surrender cum Rehabilitation of Militants in the North East that any surrendered militant should be produced before the Screening Committee within 15 days of the surrender for verification, this rule was not adhered to this time, said the source.

Two persons who were named in the surrender drama, Hemanta of Matai village and H Momocha of Laimanai are still with the Assam Rifles authority.

Four others, who featured in the controversy, H Ingo, H Lemba, H Govind and S Govind, all from Laimanai have all been released by the Court after they testified that they were led to stage the surrender drama by the Assam Rifles authority on promises of being offered jobs.

According to the Revised Scheme for Surrender cum Rehabilitation of Militants in the North East, surrendered militants will be initially lodged in a rehabilitation camp where they will be imparted training in a trade/vocation of their liking or befitting their aptitude.

The scheme also lays down that the surrendered militants will be paid a monthly stipend for three years.

The monthly stipend will not exceed Rs 2000, lays down the scheme and adds that the stipend scale of the various categories of surrendered militants will be decided by the State Government.

The scheme also says that an immediate grant of Rs 1.5 lakh will be kept in a bank in the name of the surrenderee as fixed deposit for a period of three years.

The money can withdrawn by the surrendered militant after three years, subject to good behaviour, lays down the scheme.

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