22 yrs on, Karabi-Dubori murder remains unsolved

Additiol Sessions Judge acquits accused Bhagya Kalita, his driver for want of evidence

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, Aug 22: Exactly 22 years and 22 days after the sensatiol Karabi-Dubori murder case, it remains a ‘whodunit’ with slim prospects of ever getting cracked.

One of the most high-profile murder cases in recent history that rocked Assam, the case has only joined the long list of mysterious murder cases where none has been found guilty, with the court in this case too acquitting the accused for lack of evidence.

The Additiol Sessions Judge here on Tuesday found two accused – Bhagya Kalita and his driver Mohammad Fatiur Rahman – “not guilty of the offences charged”.

The court ruled that the “evidence does not implicate the accused persons” and “... they stand acquitted of those charges and let at liberty fortwith.”

While the court may have acquitted the accused and there is still no fil word as to who killed Karabi Das and her minor daughter Dubori on that fateful night of 31st July, 1995 in Ambari area of Guwahati at around 10.15 pm, the judgement, however, once again proved how shoddily investigations are conducted by those tasked with the job, especially the police and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), the country’s premier investigating agency. No wonder then the Additiol Sessions Judge failed to find anyone guilty for lack of evidence.

The CBI was handed over the case in 1995 from Assam Police after a Gauhati High Court directive in this regard. The Central investigation registered a case (no. RC9/SCB/95-cal, dt 06/11/95) against “unknown person” and started the probe. And three years later after completion of investigation, the CBI filed a chargesheet against three accused – Bhagya Kalita (under Section 120B/302 IPC), Mohammad Fatiur Ali (under Section 302/34 IPC) and Bupen Medhi, who was shown as absconder.

In the chargesheet, the CBI also prayed for discharge of two other arrested accused – Geeta Kalita (wife of Bhagya Kalita) and Arup Dutta – in the Court of Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM). Thereafter the CJM Court recorded statements of all the accused except Medhi, who has since been declared as “absconder” by the court.

It is quite an irony as to how both the police and CBI miserably failed to trace the absconder all these 22 years despite issuance of non-bailable warrant of arrest and proclamation of attachment of property.

It may be recalled that unidentified assailants went to the rented house of Karabi Das behind the AGP’s office in Ambari area and shot her dead along with her minor daughter Dubori on the night of 31st July, 1995. Karabi’s minor son Angshuman Arabinda Das, who too was present in the house, however, maged to escape unscathed.

The dastardly double murder led to huge public uproar across the State, especially after insinuations by many quarters that Bhagya Kalita, with whom the victim was alleged to have relations, was involved in the case.