GUWAHATI: Assam Police have apprehended the driver and the helper of the Tata Xenon vehicle that ran over journalist Parag Bhuyan on the highway at Kakopathar on Wednesday night while the 53-year-old journalist was walking on the highway in front of his house.
Police on Thursday traced and seized the vehicle (No. AS 23 BC 7881) from Samaguri in Namsai of Arunachal Pradesh and apprehended its driver and helper and brought them to Namsai PS.
The driver was identified to be one James Murha (31), a resident Samaguri under Namsai Police Station. The helper has been identified as Baba Bordoloi (21), a resident of Rajagarh under Doodooma Police Station in Tinsukia district of Assam.
During interrogation at Namsai Police Station, the driver confessed to have committed the accident ‘due to negligence’ near the Kakopathar Police Station in Tinsukia district of Assam last night while returning after unloading the green tea leaves collected from various areas under Samaguri of Namsai in Rezina Tea Industries located at Rupai under Doomdooma Police Station.
The owner of the vehicle is Padma Ratan of Samaguri, Namsai, but her son namely Ape Ette is using the vehicle in his green tea leaf business. The vehicle carries green tea leaf every day from Namsai to Rezina Tea Industries in Rupai.
The vehicle after causing the accident, immediately fled away from towards Dirak side of Kakopathar Police Station near Assam- Arunachal inter-state border. Parag Bhuyan was a senior journalist associated with two media house of Assam and the younger brother of ex-minister Jagadish Bhuyan.
As the accident had occurred near Kakopathar Police Station, the PS staff immediately reached the spot. The injured Parag Bhuyan was immediately taken in the Police Station vehicle to DC Bora Nursing Home in Rupai under Doomdooma. As the condition of injured person was critical, he was taken to Aditya Nursing Home, Dibrugarh where succumbed to his injuries at around 9.50 am on Thursday.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condoled the death of senior journalist Parag Bhuyan.
In a condolence message, the Chief Minister said, “Late Parag Bhuyan has made significant contribution in the field of journalism and his death is an irreparable loss to the society. I convey deep sympathy to the bereaved family and pray for eternal peace of the departed soul”.