Jayanta Borah murder case: Three police officers suspended in Jorhat district

A CORRESPONDENT

JORHAT: A day after a youth died after being held by a team of army and police, three police officers were suspended in Jorhat district on Tuesday.

State Agriculture Minister Atul Bora visited the house of the deceased in Borholla area on Tuesday and announced an ex-gratia of Rs 6 lakh to the family members and to provide a government job to any of the next of kin of the deceased. Bora also informed that Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had ordered a commissioner-level inquiry into the matter and entrusted IAS officer Lalit Gogoi to conduct the same.

"The Chief Minister has entrusted Lalit Gogoi to conduct the probe and submit the report within a week," Bora said.

Bora, who was accompanied by State PWD Minister Jugen Mohan and Jorhat MP Tapon Kumar Gogoi, also said, "The government has decided to try the case in a fast-track court to ensure speedy trial of the case."

Superintendent of Police of Jorhat, Mrinal Talukdar said, "The mother of the deceased has lodged a police complaint against both police and army and the case has been registered under section 302 (Punishment for murder), 120 B (Punishment for Criminal Conspiracy) and 34 (Acts done by several persons in furtherance of common intention) of the Indian Penal Code. We have engaged Inspector Mahidhar Taye to investigate the case and investigation is on."

He added, "Police had no information about the involvement of the deceased with ULFA- I and the operation against the deceased was launched purely on the basis of army input." Talukdar also said that the suspended police officers were Titabor Subdivisional Police Officer Amit Hojai (APS), Officer in-charge of Borholla police station, Mintu Handique (Sub-Inspector) and Bekajan Police outpost in-charge Gopal Dolley.

Jayanta Borah, son of Lila Bora of Kakodonga Habi Gaon Block No. 5 in Borholla area under Titabor subdivision, died after being held by a joint team of army and police on Monday. Army from 244 Field Regiment based in Charaideo and police of Borholla police station and Bokajan outpost in Titabor detained the 30-year old Jayanta from his residence at around 1 am on Monday. Later, he was admitted at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital where he was declared dead.

Meanwhile, several organizations like All Assam Students' Union (AASU), Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad and Manab Adhikari Sangram Samiti have condemned the incident and demanded maximum punishment to the guilty. AASU Borholla unit president Bhaskarjyoti Neog said, "We have sent a memorandum to the Chief Minister to ensure maximum punishment to the guilty army and police officers."

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