Haflong: Assam police’s Criminal Investigation Department (CID) investigation on abduction and killing case of Dima Hasao’s businessman Sontosh Hojai has reached its final stage and may file charge – sheet in few weeks, informed Desrindao Thaosen, advocate Gauhati HC who appeared on behalf of the victim.
Thaosen also said that some accused persons were already arrested and the investigating department is properly handling the case. “The investigating team have already interrogated all persons who were alleged/suspected to have been involved in the case” Thaosen added.
Santosh Hojai was abducted by five men in plainclothes from his house at Damadi Hawar under Harangajao police station on 24th April 2020 amid Covid lockdown in the entire nation. His wife Jayanta Hojai went to file an FIR, but the P.S officer in charge, S.I Angshu Rajkumar refused to register the FIR, saying that her husband will return home by the next day.
Two days after when Hojai didn’t return home after receiving assurance from the officer in charge, people of nearby areas protest against the officer in charge and finally registered the complaint.’
Six days later Hojai’s decomposed and partly burnt body was found buried near NH 27 road, 100km from his home at Lailing reserve forest under Langting police station in Dima Hasao district. Later the body was exhumed in presence of an executive magistrate. Subsequently, his wife filed a petition in the high court on 28th April, two days before his body was found, seeking a directive to the police to expedite the search.
Following the recovery of the body Hojai’s wife has filed an affidavit at Guwahati HC and the court ordered an SIT under DIG (SR) and remanded Kanchan Naiding, a cadre of Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) for three days for interrogation in connection with the case.
Meanwhile, a CCTV footage of the then DSP, Surya Kanta Morang, and police personnel surface on social media buying fuel in a jerry-can from Maibang oil depot to which Hojai’s wife has alleged the identification of the DSP to have come to her house and abducted her husband triggering a series of protest against the police administration. However, the DSP has been transferred to outside the district in a major police officer reshuffles in the state and to ensure a free and fair investigation.
In June 2020 the HC ordered the Assam DGP to entrust CID into the investigation and dis-engage the SIT, in November 2020, the CID arrested two police constables who were involved in the adduction and murdered case and recorded their statement.
(Inputs by Suroj Barman)