A total of four persons have been arrested by Guwahati Police in connection with the murder of businessman Hemant Chaurasia in Hatigaon area of Guwahati.
The four have been identified as Mukuta Das, Noor Alam Mulla, Ramesh Yadav and Safikul Islam. They have been arrested from different locations including Guwahati, Abhayapuri and Chaygaon. Three other persons allegedly involved in the incident are still on the run.
According to police, the arrested four were first taken to Hatigaon Police Station, then to Dispur Police Station and were later produced in the court. The court sent all the accused to the judicial custody.
Though there were rumours that locals gheraoed Hatigaon Police Station demanding handing over of the persons who were allegedly involved in the murder of the city trader, the Hatigaon Police denied any such incident.
Chaurasia, aged about 38 years, was shot dead by some miscreants at Hatigaon on Wednesday evening.
Chaurasia was running a grocery shop at Kailash Nagar area near Hatigaon Police Station. While he was returning home after downing shutters of his shop, motorcycle-borne miscreants attacked him near his shop.
The miscreants shot at him from point blank range and fled from the spot after committing the crime. Chaurasia was rushed to hospital but died on the way as he received bullet injury on his head.
The miscreants came on a Pulsar bike wearing helmets and shot him with a 9 mm pistol.
According to police, the pistol used in the killing along with 4 rounds of live cartridges, 4 mobile phone, two laptops and Rs 25,000 have also been seized.
Talking to media persons regarding the trader’s killing at Hatigaon, Commissioner of Police, Guwahati, Hiren Chandra Nath said Ramesh Yadav had brought the pistol used in Chaurasia’s killing from Dimapur.
While Noor Alam Mulla hails from Dakshin Salmara, Safikul Islam hails from Abhayapuri, informed Nath.
They have been arrested against a case 119/18 under section 120B/302/IPC RW section 27(3) Arms Act.
Nath also informed, “Three teams of Guwahati Police have been continuing the investigation into the killing of Chaurasia,” adding, “Cash amount of Rs 25,000 has been seized from Safikul Islam while three other accused are still absconding.”
He further stated that all the members of the gang were camping at Mukuta Das’ Chaygaon house while Safikul, a sharp shooter, was taken from Abhayapuri by Mulla and another person to executive the act. Nath said it was Safikul who had fired at the trader.
Nath also claimed that Ramesh Yadav is involved in arms smuggling.
Informing that Chaurasia’s bag contained Rs 4,06,000, Nath said Safikul received Rs 1 lakh for shooting Chaurasia. He also said that some of the gang members are educated who can make best use of laptop and mobile phone technology.
It may be mentioned that the incident of trader’s killing at Hatigaon area caused an uproar in the Assam Assembly on Thursday with opposition members staging a walkout in protest against not accepting a motion to discuss the issue on the floor of the House.