Continuing its crackdown on insurgent groups operating in the Northeast, the Centre on Thursday banned the dreaded Jewel Garlossa faction of Dima Halam Daogah (DHD-J), also known as Black Widow, under the Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

The decision to include the DHD(J) in the list of terrorist organisations was taken at the Cabinet Committee on Security, sources said. The decision comes about a month after the security forces achieved major successes in neutralising the top leadership of the organisation, said to be responsible for a spate of violent attacks in the North Cachar Hills district of Assam in recent times.

Last month, the Assam Police arrested the group’s top commander Jewel Garlossa in Bangalore. The group’s deputy commander-in-chief Partha Warisa was also arrested from the city. Hours later, the police gunned down the organisation’s ‘foreign secretary’ Frankie Dimasa in Guwahati.

The success against DHD(J) was the result of determined action by the UPA at the Centre, which has decided to get tough with the militant groups in the Northeast. DHD(J) will become the 36th entity in the list of the terrorist organisations banned by the Centre under Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act.

President’s Rule in Jharkhand extended

NEW DELHI: The Government has decided to extend President's Rule in Jharkhand for a further period of six months. A decision to this effect was taken by the Cabinet on Thursday based on the report of Governor Syed Sibtey Razi submitted to the Centre on June 16. President's Rule was imposed in Jharkhand on January 19, 2009 and its six-month period was set to expire on July 18.

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