What Made Drishti Rajkhowa Surrender After 32 Years?

Former ULFA (Independent) deputy commander-in-chief Drishti Rajkhowa, once one of Assam’s most dreaded insurgent figures, surrendered before a sessions court on Monday in connection with a nearly 32-year-old kidnapping and murder case.

The fresh legal development comes months after he formally joined mainstream politics.

Rajkhowa, whose real name is Manoj Rabha, appeared in court in a case registered as 1/2020, linked to the 1993 abduction of railway contractor Kanhaiyalal Gupta from Kheroni in Karbi Anglong. Gupta has remained untraceable since the day he was kidnapped, and a chargesheet in the case was filed back in 2001.

As one of ULFA’s deadliest commanders, Rajkhowa headed the 109th battalion and was considered extremely close to ULFA-I chief Paresh Baruah. Known for his involvement in high-intensity operations across the 1980s and 90s, he later surrendered to security forces in November 2020 in Meghalaya after decades of armed insurgency.

During his court appearance today, Rajkhowa formally surrendered in connection with the ongoing trial. He was granted bail shortly after, on two sureties of over ₹1 lakh each, and released from custody. He has been instructed to appear again before the TADA Court on January 2, 2026.

Senior advocate Bijon Mahajan, speaking on the development, noted that the surrender was a “crucial legal obligation” and that Rajkhowa would need to follow all further judicial procedures.

The move brings renewed attention to the long-pending case, raising questions about how Rajkhowa’s insurgency-era allegations may influence his future as he attempts to reshape his public identity.

Joined BJP in 2025, Pitching for a Mainstream Political Role

Earlier in July 2025, Rajkhowa joined the BJP in Guwahati, marking a major shift from decades of insurgency to mainstream politics. The induction event, held at the Atal Bihari Vajpayee Bhawan—BJP’s state headquarters—saw him welcomed by party state president Dilip Saikia and cabinet minister Jayanta Malla Baruah, along with other senior leaders.

More than 50 others from the Congress, AAP, and Raijor Dal also joined the party that day. Notably, former AAP Assam unit president Manoj Dhanowar was among the prominent entrants.

Terming the developments a “boost ahead of the 2026 elections,” the BJP projected the mass induction as public endorsement of its governance model.

State BJP president Dilip Saikia said,

“The BJP is not just a political party; it is a family. Rajkhowa’s decision to join us reflects his faith in our nationalist ideology and development-driven mission.”

Rajkhowa, trained in guerrilla warfare and explosives in Myanmar, Pakistan, and Afghanistan (as per intelligence sources), surrendered to security forces in Meghalaya in November 2020—a setback that weakened ULFA-I’s hardline wing.

Explaining his decision to enter mainstream politics, Rajkhowa said,

“I am not here for a post or a ticket. I joined the BJP because of its development agenda. My goal is to contribute to Assam’s progress.”

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