Jan. 28: Gauhati High Court today asked Dispur to submit within a week a status report on the investigation of two cases registered with Sonapur police station in connection with the 2009 multiple murders at Jogdol.
The court of Justice Biplab Kumar Sharma issued the order during the hearing of a petition submitted by heart surgeon Dhaniram Baruah, who was also suspected by villagers of having a hand in the crime.
On January 23, Baruah had submitted an additional affidavit in the court, seeking its intervention in getting the investigation handed over to the CBI.
One Harakanta Doloi and five of his family members and relatives, including two minors, were hacked to death on the night of December 12, 2009, at Jogdol on the city’s outskirts.
Sonapur police station had registered a case (134/2009) in connection with the crime, which was subsequently handed over to the CID of the police by the state government.
Baruah had lodged another FIR with Sonapur police station (135/2009) after locals at Jogdol had ransacked the Dhaniram Baruah Heart Institute and Research Centre, situated close to the crime scene, on December 15, 2009. On December 23, 2009, Baruah had lodged a petition in the high court seeking police security, which was later provided to him. But on January 7, Baruah had again moved the court, complaining that his security had been withdrawn. The court then asked the police to re-instate his security.
Subsequently, on January 23, Baruah submitted an additional affidavit, seeking a CBI probe into the crime.
Baruah’s lawyer Tarun Chandra Chutia today said: “During today’s hearing, the court sought to know the status of the case from the government lawyer. As the government side could not provide much detail, the court asked them to submit a status report of both the cases — 134/2009 and 135/2009 — by next Monday.”
The court fixed February 4 as the next date of hearing of the petition.
The Jogdol murder case had created a sensation across the state and the government handed over the investigation to the CID on December 17, 2009. Subsequently, six persons, including the prime accused, Arjun Bordoloi, were arrested. Bordoloi was later found dead under mysterious circumstances in September last year.
The case, however, took a new turn when a city-based contractor, Dulal Bora, came out with the allegation in January last year that social welfare minister Akon Bora was involved in the crime. The minister, however, denied the charge.
The contractor, who was once close to Akon Bora, is also planning to move the high court, as the CID was yet to submit its chargesheet even after more than three years of investigation.
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