Speedier Crime Solving

<p>The dastardly killing of Lafiqul Islam Ahmed, president of the All BTAD Minority Students&rsquo; Union (ABMSU) on Tuesday underscores the time taken for investigations into such crimes even when they are committed in broad daylight and in situations where eyewitnesses may not be very difficult to find. Thirty-three-year-old Lafiqul was shot dead by two motorcycle-borne gunmen on Tuesday when he had gone out to buy tiles at Titaguri market, 10 km from his tive Salakati village, 10 km east of Kokrajhar town at about 4:30 p.m.. According to Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay, there were 12 entry/exit holes of bullets on Lafiqul&rsquo;s body. And empty cartridge of 7.6 mm bore and another of 9 mm bore were recovered from the spot. What is of legitimate concern (in what is regarded as a political murder by most observers) is that it should be so difficult to arrest all the culprits connected with the despicable killing of Lafiqul. There are reports of two persons having been arrested in the murder case. Entaj Ali, 30, a prime suspect, was picked up from Srirampur, 18 km from Kokrajhar on Wednesday afternoon, while Gautam Ghose, 35, owner of the tiles shop, was apprehended on Tuesday night. Entaj Ali, who is a resident of No. 2 Tokeymari village in Gossaigaon, 15 km from Kokrajhar town, is a suspected cattle smuggler. There are valid reasons to believe that since Lafiqul&rsquo;s murder is regarded by many as a political murder, there are bound to be more than just two or three killers associated with the deed. Since there were two motorcycle-borne killers, and since Gautam Ghose, the owner of the tiles shop, could not have been one of those two, quite obviously there would have to be at least one more person connected with Lafiqul&rsquo;s murder who is yet to be apprehended. <br />

It will not do to downplay the significant fact Lafiqul&rsquo;s family had initially refused to accept his body, demanding that Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal visit their home and a CBI probe be ordered. The body had to be kept in mosque near Sofiqul&rsquo;s house until the DGP and BTC chief Hagrama Mohilary persuaded the family later in the day to accept the body. Mohilary said he would request the Chief Minister to announce an ex gratia grant of Rs 50 lakh and provide government jobs to two members of Lafiqul&rsquo;s family. He also supported the demand for a CBI probe.<br />

One fondly hopes that this would be the last of such mysterious and dastardly killings in our State, and the investigation of heinous crimes will be done much faster.. It is all very well for some people to say that it is far more important to be able to prevent such killings than to apprehend the killers after the event. We all know how impossible an ideal this is to expect from the custodians of the law in the kind of milieu that we have around us. For a long time to come, lawbreaking and crime will take the most despicable routes to eble some people to deliver their brand of justice at their own speed of delivering it, instead of having to accept the law&rsquo;s delay. And this might be far more difficult to prevent in areas where minority groups are able to demand and secure political power. The other important requirement for ensuring law and order and the safety of people is to ensure that the easy availability and sale of unlicensed clandestine weapons is totally ended. This too is a goal easily wished for but extremely difficult to realize. However, sincere efforts must be sustained in order to bring to an end the easy availability and sale of clandestine weapons. Until we have maged to achieve this, most of our hopes of ensuring proper law and order might remain no more than pious wishes.</p>