Public, student activists protest in Bokajan

A Correspondent

Bokajan, July 3: Hundreds of people, including residents and student activists, took to the streets on Tuesday, displaying placards seeking immediate arrest of Umesh Gupta, who according to them is a gambler and a habitual offender by profession. Umesh Gupta, is an under trial criminal having a dozen cases registered against him. However, Gupta managed to frame a report on a private news channel claiming his innocence and alleging police of running a syndicate in the hill district of Karbi Anglong.

Gupta was earlier a Grade IV school peon but was placed under suspension for his involvement in various anti-social activities, including drug peddling and gunrunning. He was also arrested in several occasions under charges of Assam Games and Betting Act. Gupta was also involved in various other cases of physically assault on government employees, including forest officials, land settlement officer and many others.

In addition, Umesh Gupta was involved in the physically assault of a journalist while the later went to cover a news back in 2015. Gupta was also booked under sections of Scheduled Castes and Scheduled Tribes (Prevention of Atrocities) Act, 1989 for allegedly inciting racial tension while engaging himself in a verbal altercation with a group of tribal student activists late last year.

Gupta, who reportedly enjoys the patronage of a senior officer in the State Police Department, developed a grudge against the Superintendent of Police for repeatedly pushing him behind bars in connection with this or the other case. However, on securing bail, Gupta has been running from pillar to post to defame the incumbent officer.