Public hearing conducted by one-man committee

Bordumsa Kujupather firing incident

Our Correspondent

DIGBOI, May 22: Based on the immediate probe ordered by the Assam government into the death of OC Bordumsa, Bhaskar Kalita during a gun battle with ULFA militants at Bordumsa on May 4 at Kujupather in Tinsukia district, an inquiry team led by Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, Kumar Sanjay Krishna visited Kujupather on Tuesday afternoon and took the stock of the situation.

Following the visit to the residence of Ranjan Bora and brief inquiry, thereupon assessing the pros and cons related to the encounter, Krishna together with other civil and police officials, including Mughdhajyoti Mahanta, the Superintendent of Police of Tinsukia, Sumit Sattawan, the SDO (Civil) Margherita, and SDPO D. Morang attended a public hearing held at the premises of Kukupather LP School. A thorough inquiry was conducted and five members of the village, including the village headman and Mridula Bora, wife of Ranjan Bora (owner of the house where ULFA cadres were taking shelter) gave their statements. All the minute details of the incident were inquired upon thoroughly. The statements were examined, re-examined and cross-examined for materialistic proof of validity.

Though no adequate outcome or information was shared to media, yet Krishna said that the team had come for public hearing as part of ongoing inquiry that the commission was entrusted upon and that the final report would soon be placed before the government for consideration.

Meanwhile, the other security cadres and forces present with martyr OC Kalita, who was heading the team in the operation that day, were also interrogated one by one behind closed doors by means of BP test and other suitable mechanism to ensure effectiveness of the inquiry. A meeting with other security agencies along the border location was held at the Bordumsa Arunachal-based Inspection Bungalow.

Khagen Kalita, the father of Bhaskar Kalita, had smelt something fishy in the entire incident and questioned the quality of bullet-proof jacket. He had demanded a CBI inquiry into the incident. “It was a pre-planned murder,” the old father had alleged earlier.

“When the whole operation took place, a massive team comprising of Assam Police and CRPF were present but how come only Bhaskar was hit with at least nine bullets and he died while others were not even injured? This points to the possibility of a conspiracy somewhere,” he added.

A one-man committee by Kumar Sanjay Krishna, Additional Chief Secretary to the Government of Assam, has been enquiring into the quality and effectiveness of the bulletproof vest worn by SI Bhaskar Kalita at the time of the encounter with the ULFA(I) at Bordumsa.

The inquiry report, including recommendations, will be submitted by the Additional Chief Secretary by the end of this month.