Top ULFA leaders to be produced in court today

Top leaders of United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) Arabinda Rajkhowa and Raju Barua are expected to be produced in a court in Guwahati today. The police are planning to ask for their custody for interrogation. The government is hoping ULFA chairman Rajkhowa will bite the talks bait once he is in jail and convince the other ULFA cadres in custody to hold talks with the government. NDTV has learnt that the government has promised safe passage to the ULFA leaders in exchange for talks. (In pics: ULFA men who call the shots) The expected cooperation of Arabinda Rajkhowa, Chairman of ULFA (United Liberation Front of Asom) who was detained on Wednesday, is key to the nascent peace process. But on Friday, a new hurdle emerged in the shape of an old demand: independence. Rajkhowa's insistence on ULFA's core demand of sovereignty for Assam put the government in a bind. Since his detention, government and intelligence officials have been working on a strategy for negotiations with him. Rajkhowa and Raju Baruah, another senior ULFA leader detained on Friday morning, will face murder charges when produced in court. Rajkhowa's wife and children are also now in India's custody. ULFA: The men who call the shots: Command-in-chief of ULFA, Paresh Barua, reported to have fled Bangladesh Deputy Commander-in-Chief Raju Barua, surrenders, handed over to India Chairman Arabinda Rajkhowa, arrested by Bangladesh, in India's custody now ULFA 'foreign secretary' Sasha Choudhury, arrested in Bangladesh, in India's custody now ULFA 'finance secretary' Chitraban Hazarika, arrested in Bangladesh, in India's custody now Advisor Bhimkanta Buragohain & Vice-chairman Pradip Gogoi in custody Central publicity secretary Mithinga Daimary & cultural secretary Pranati Deka in custody Other senior leaders Bening Rabha, Ashanta Bagh Phukan, Ponaram Dihingiya of military wing missing since 2003