Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma instructed the state police department to refrain from making any unnecessary statements in order to allow the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to conduct a fair investigation into the death of Morikolong sub-inspector Junmoni Rabha.
The chief minister added that the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) Assam will handle the investigation of the murdering of Junmoni Rabha until the CBI takes control.
Addressing the media here in Guwahati, CM Sarma said, “Already the case has been handed over to the CBI. Now it is up to the CBI who will deal with the findings and outcome. During the investigation process, if anyone is found to be guilty he or she will have to go to the jail. As the Assam government has handed over the case to the CBI, thus, the government will not comment on anything in connection to the matter. We will be neutral. I have also directed the Assam police not to make any unnecessary statement in connection to Junmoni Rabha’s death case as the investigation is handed over to the CBI.”
The chief minister also pledged to entirely eradicate the state’s fake gold smuggling business.
“People indulged in buying and selling of fake gold will be dealt as criminal. A person with good nature will never have the intension of buying fake gold. People having black money generally get involved in buying such gold. We will end this game in Assam,” added CM Sarma.
The’mysterious’ murder of Junmoni Rabha, an Assam Police Sub-Inspector (SI), has been the subject of a protest earlier today at Kalaigaon in the Udalguri district of Assam by a number of Rabha community organisations.
Organisations including the Nikhil Rabha Students’ Union, Nikhil Rabha Sahitya Sabha, and Nikhil Rabha Mahila Parishad organised a protest with posters calling for justice for the murdered police officer Junmoni Rabha as well as chants criticising the Nagaon police.
Leena Doley, a former Nagaon Superintendent of Police (SP) who has been at the centre of the dispute since it began, was also called for to be arrested on one of the posters.
“So many clues have been unearthed indicating foul play in Junmoni Rabha’s death, yet the government and state police are remaining silent. The fact that Nagaon SP Leena Doley deliberately murdered Junmoni has now come to light,” one of the protestors said.
“The government is trying to cover up the issue by transferring Leena Doley to another district but that won’t change things. We demand strict action against Leena Doley, be it Reserved Closed or suspension,” he added.
Another protestor said, “The people of Assam were slowly gaining trust in Assam police but this incident has opened our eyes. We have lost all faith in Assam police.”
Notably, a representative of the United People’s Party Liberal (UPPL), who also admitted that Junmoni Rabha’s death was the result of a premeditated murder, was present at the demonstration location.
“Junmoni’s death might be being proclaimed as a road accident by the police, but the people of Assam are very well aware that it was a premeditated murder,” he said.
Upon being asked if the people are happy with the case being handed over to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), he said, “We are satisfied but the investigation is going very slowly. The investigation must not be delayed.”