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 to file charge – sheet in a few weeks.
Desrindao Thaosen, an advocate of GHC who appeared on behalf of the victim said, “some accused persons were already arrested and the investigating department is properly handling the case.”
Santosh Hojai was abducted by five men in plain clothes from his house at Damadi Hawar under Harangajao police station on April 24, 2020, amid Covid lockdown in the entire nation.
Later after six days of missing 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.
Meanwhile, the body was exhumed in presence of an executive magistrate. Besides that, his wife filed a petition in the high court on April 28, 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 had 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.
CCTV footage of Surya Kanta Morang, the then DSP, and a few police personnel went viral on social media.
In the CCTV footage, the police personnel was seen buying fuel in a Jerry can from the Maibang oil depot. Hojai’s wife alleged that the identification of DSP to have come to her house and abducted her husband. This triggered a series of protests against the police administration.
The DSP was however transferred during the major reshuffle of Assam police officials in the state. This was done to ensure a fair and reasonable investigation.
However, in June 2020 the HC ordered the Assam DGP to assign CID into the investigation and dis-engage the SIT, in November 2020, after that the CID arrested two police constables who were involved in the abduction and murdered case and recorded their statement.
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