Mystery around Binod Phangso killing deepens

Police bullet lodged in Barpathar OC's back raise suspicions about mafia-police nexus

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Jan 18: Who killed Barpathar PS officer-in-charge Binod Phangso? Investigations and evidence gathered so far are increasingly pointing to a conspiracy in the killing of the officer.

Phangso was killed in a shoot-out while chasing a "stolen" vehicle on the Barpathar-Chungajan road in Golaghat district. The officer was acting on a purported phone call which tipped him off about the presence of a gang of car lifters on the route.

Though initially it was believed that the officer fell to bullets fired by car thieves, sleuths are now probing another angle.

Police suspect that the AK 47 bullet found from the officer's body during post mortem was fired from a police rifle, sources privy to the investigation into the incident said. Interestingly, the bullet had hit Phangso on the back.

The cartridge has been sent for forensic tests.

Phangso, while chasing the "stolen" TATA AC vehicle, had called up and alerted the OC of Chungajan police station. The Chungajan OC and four constables had laid an ambush near Chungajan Chariali where the reported encounter took place. It is also learnt that one of the constables accompanying the Chungajan OC was using an AK 47 rifle and he had fired six rounds during the purported firefight.

Phangso had also tried to alert the in-charge of ojan police outpost, but the IC did not respond to his calls. The ojan IC Brahmanda Brahma was later closed to reserve and discipliry proceedings have been initiated against him.

The NH 39 - connecting Numaligarh to Dimapur - is known be a highly sensitive road. Organized gangs of car thieves, drug mafia and other smugglers use the route to transport consignments to and from galand. It is said that most of the gangs have government officials, including police officials, on their pay-roll which makes their operations hassle-free.

There are apprehensions that Phangso, who was known to be a honest officer, might have been trapped and elimited by such elements who were finding it difficult to operate ever since he was posted at Barpathar about a year back.

Meanwhile, many organizations today staged a demonstration at Phangso's tive village at Sopur, demanding as CBI inquiry into his killing.