GUWAHATI, Dec 1: The prime accused in the lynching of an All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leader in Upper Assam’s Jorhat town on Monday afternoon was killed in a road mishap while he tried to escape police custody in the Cinnamora area of the town in the wee hours of Wednesday.
According to police, Niraj Das alias ‘Kola Lora’, a habitual offender and also infamous as a drugs peddler, tried to escape by jumping out of a police vehicle while he was being taken to Mariani police station, but was hit by a police escort vehicle (Bolero) that lost control amid dense fog and darkness.
The vehicle eventually crashed side-on into a wall close to a mill beside the Jorhat-Mariani Road.
“Niraj Das was later declared “brought dead” by doctors at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) where he was rushed to after the mishap. We have started the process of post mortem and inquest. Three police personnel were injured in the incident and are currently under treatment at JMCH,” Jorhat superintendent of police Ankur Jain told mediapersons on Wednesday.
According to sources, Das had, during investigation, assured of leading the police team to a hidden drugs consignment but it was apparently established that his intention was to escape from police custody.
It may be mentioned that Das, the key accused in the barbaric lynching of Animesh Bhuyan, the education secretary of Brahmaputra Regional Committee of AASU’s Golaghat district unit, was arrested along with 12 other accused on Tuesday. Two other AASU members, who were with Animesh, sustained injuries in the mob attack.
Das, who was to be produced before the court on Wednesday, has a long history of committing crimes with several cases registered against him in police stations.
It may be mentioned that the other 12 accused arrested in the case were taken amid heavy security to the chief judicial magistrate’s court in Jorhat on Tuesday evening amid public outrage and fury.
A large gathering outside the court was heard shouting slogans and demanding justice for the deceased AASU leader. The enraged crowd demanded that the police hand over the accused to them.
“Investigation in the case is on. As a precaution, CRPF personnel will be posted from morning till late evening across two shifts on AT Road. I also appeal to the people to come out fearlessly and help police by providing facts, videos and statements related to Monday’s lynching so that a strong chargesheet can be filed. We have launched three round-the-clock helpline numbers through which people can contact our control room during an emergency,” the Jorhat SP said.
Reacting to the development, during an inspection visit to the Gorukhuti project on Wednesday, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma asserted that “such crimes (mob lynching/drug trafficking) must end…the state would be free of crimes and criminals …come what may.”
“Time has come for self reflection as to why drugs-related crimes are taking place in the state. About 30 to 40 percent of Assamese youths are still engaged in illegal drugs trafficking case…This happens when we neglect work culture and find easy ways of leading our lives,” Sarma said.
The chief minister had on Tuesday instructed the police to file a charge-sheet in the case within 30 days and carry out the trial in a fast-track court.
Special DGP (law and order) G.P Singh has been asked to personally monitor the investigation.
Earlier, the news of the death of ‘Kola Lora’ was received with a sense of relief among the people of Jorhat and Dergaon with some also seen bursting crackers on the road.