Guwahati, July 12: The Dibrugarh district administration on Tuesday morning demolished the residence of a key accused in the Vineet Bagaria suicide case, Baidulla Khan, at Ghoramara locality of the Upper Assam town.
The drastic move under the Disaster Management Act comes four days after the district administration issued an eviction notice to Baidullah Khan on the ground that his two-storey building was illegally constructed, vulnerable and hence “unsafe” for the occupants and people nearby.
Moreover, certain norms, including that of APDCL, have been violated. However, there was no response from Baidullah or the occupants of the house to the notice, following which the demolition drive was carried out.
Assam special DGP law and order), G.P Singh, who is in Dibrugarh to take stake of the progress of investigation, said that a proper assessment and analysis was done with the Dibrugarh district administration in regard to the property owned by “musclemen” who might have acquired property through illegal means.
“It was found that this structure (of Baidullah Khan) was illegally constructed, and after there was no response to the notice issued on July 8, the district administration today conducted the eviction drive,” Singh, who had visited the family of animal rights activist Vineet on Monday, told the media.
The special DGP further informed that Baidullah Khan was running a cartel and engaging in illegal money lending business.
“According to our study, we have found that those who are into illegal money lending or hawala transactions in the country are generally engaged in anti-national activities/criminal intimidation…These people will be our target now,” he said.
“As it is, we have ordered police stations across the state to prepare a list of such people who resort to muscle power and criminal intimidation and engage in illegal activities,” Singh said.
Regarding the remaining accused in abetting Vineet’s suicide, a look-out circular has been given to CID to track and arrest the other accused who are absconding, the special DGP said.
Singh had on Monday said that the activist’s suicide case was being intensively pursued and that police in Dibrugarh district have been directed to adopt a zero-tolerance policy against hooligans who show “muscle power” and take law in their hands.
It may be recalled that Vineet had hung himself to death on Thursday at his residence on Shani Mandir Road in Dibrugarh. Prior to his death, he had recorded a video where he accused Baidullah Khan, Sanjay Sharma and Nishant Sharma of physically and mentally torturing him and his family over a rental property.
On the other hand, Dibrugarh Sadar police station officer-in-charge Boloram Terang was on Monday transferred on the ground that he had failed to take timely action even after the Bagaria family had lodged complaints against the accused.
Terang has been replaced by Jorhat Sadar police station officer in charge, Raju Chetry.
It may be mentioned that chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Saturday met the members of the bereaved family and assured strict action against those responsible for Vineet’s death, including police officials who failed to act after complaints were filed by the family earlier.