GUWAHATI: A person accused of rhino poaching in Assam is among those who have won Assam panchayat election.
Dilwar Hussain, who is wanted in a rhino poaching case, has won panchayat polls in Assam on a Congress ticket. Hussain won by a margin of 240 votes.
Hussain who hails from Suwaguri village, was had been arrested two times for his alleged involvement in rhino poaching. He is out on bail now. Sources said that Hussain was first arrested in 2011 for his alleged involvement of rhino poaching in Kaziranga National Park.
While a case (no – 316/2011) was registered against Dilwar at Biswanath police station, he was yet again arrested next year over allegation of another rhino poaching. The court had directed the state forest department to probe into these rhino poaching incidents this year.
“I am innocent. It is a political conspiracy against me. A case was registered against me and it is going on, but I am just an accused person, not a convicted person,” Hussain said.
Hussain’s win has apparently added to the woes of opposition Congress as far as panchayat election results were concerned.
The Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) has claimed that the party had already written to the concerned Deputy Commissioner to cancel Hussain’s candidature. “It is very unfortunate. We have already sent a letter to the Deputy Commissioner and election officer of Biswanath district to cancel his candidature,” said senior Congress leader Apurba Bhattacharyya.