One of the most important leaders of the militant outfit NLFT, Mr. Ashok Debbarma has been awarded the death sentence for his involvement in the Jarulbachai massacre on February 1997 in which 16 persons including women and children were killed. This is the first time that a death sentence has been awarded to a militant leader in the north east. Mr. Ashok was considered one of the most dreaded militant of the region. Gandhi Debbarma, an accomplice of the leader was also found guilty by the court although no verdict was announced since he is still absconding.

The 1997 mass murder evoked sharp reaction throughout the country. The insurgents were known to have lighted several houses and threw a half-year-old child alive in the fire. Awarding the sentence district and sessions judge of West Tripura district Subhash Bhattacharjee said that the brutality involved in the killing can be considered as rarest of the rare and deserve capital punishment.

Police submitted charge sheet against both militants under section 302 and 307 of the CrPC and section 27 of the Arms act. All non-tribal residents of Jarulbachai in West Tripura district left the village after the incident and some of them returned only recently. Police has made additional security arrangement in the village fearing that the insurgents may retaliate.Jahar Nama, a resident of Jarulbachai said that the local people are still feeling insecure as the insurgents are still in large in the area.