Govt cannot declare Ghosh dead: Gupta

NEW DELHI, August 14: Refusing to 8220;officially8221; accept the death of social activist Sanjoy Ghose, the government has asked the Assam government to 8220;diligently8221; pursue investigations into his kidnapping.

Home Minister Indrajit Gupta told the Lok Sabha that since Ghose8217;s body had not yet been recovered, the government could not declare him dead in the strict legal sense.

Condemning Ghose8217;s abduction in the strongest terms, Gupta described the action of the United Liberation Front of Assam ULFA as a 8220;naked attack on democracy, civil society and people8217;s right to organise themselves for their own betterment.8221;

The Home Minister quoted the self-styled ULFA commander-in-chief Paresh Barua as stating that Ghose had been kidnapped, was in ULFA custody and would be punished as he was a 8220;RAW informer8221;.