Nine people, including senior police officers in Assam’s Bajali district, were arrested by the state crime investigation department (CID) after a local businessman alleged that he was being extorted by police.

Rabiul Islam, the businessman, alleged, among other things, that he was wrongfully detained by police and told to pay Rs 2.5 crore, failing which he would be killed in an encounter and his killing would be justified by concocting “links with Pakistani and Bangladeshi jihadi elements”. In his complaint, Islam said the threats were made by a man who claimed to be an “encounter specialist”.

On Monday, the Assam Police arrested Siddhartha Buragohan, a 2014 batch IPS officer who had been Bajali Superintendent of Police before being transferred two days ago to Assam Police Headquarters. Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ) Pushkal Gogoi, Additional Superintendent of Police Gayatri Sonowal, her husband Subhas Chander, Sub-Inspector Debajit Giri, and constable Injamamul Hassan were also arrested. The three others arrested were one Kishore Baruah, and police drivers Nabir Ahmed and Dipjoy Kalita.

Assam DGP G P Singh said on Friday that after police received the complaint of money being demanded by Bajali police officers, the Directorate of Vigilance and Anti-Corruption “was directed to lay a trap but didn’t succeed since the police officers (accused) were careful”. However, he said that the FIR was registered because the complaint was found to be “prima facie true”.

On August 31, based on a complaint by Islam, the Assam CID registered an FIR under multiple IPC sections, including those pertaining to attempt to murder, causing fear of death for extortion, criminal intimidation, wrongful confinement and criminal conspiracy. The six accused named in the FIR were Buragohain, Sonowal, Gogoi, Giri, and two other police personnel – Arnab Jyoti Patir, officer in charge of Patacharkuchi police station, and Sasanka Das, an ASI from Bhabanipur outpost.

In his complaint, Islam alleged that the intimidation began on July 16 when police personnel stormed into his family home at around 1.30 am, dragged him out and began asking him about “drugs and cash”, which he said he knew nothing about.

Source: The Indian Express