Leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly, Debabrata Saikia, on Wednesday urged Prime Minister Narendra Modi to initiate an inquiry against Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC) chief executive member (CEM) Tuliram Ronghang for allegedly demolishing his ancestral residence a day after it was set ablaze by a mob.
The CEM’s house, located under Donkamukam police station, was set on fire on Tuesday in the wake of protests at Jenkha — around 25km away — demanding the removal of encroachers from professional and village grazing reserves (PGR/VGR) in West Karbi Anglong district.
“What was the hurry? We suspect it was done to destroy evidence of corruption. There are serious allegations against him,” Saikia, a senior Congress leader, told The Telegraph while appealing for calm in the region.
In a letter to the Prime Minister, Saikia said the protests escalated after Ronghang invited demonstrators for talks on Monday afternoon, but later allegedly ordered police to forcibly remove them at 3am, shifting them to Guwahati Medical College Hospital instead of the nearby Diphu Medical College. The move reportedly aggravated public anger, culminating in the arson.
Saikia said Ronghang’s subsequent decision to bulldoze the charred house without a forensic examination or judicial sanction violated CrPC protocols and raised concerns about destruction of evidence. “The house may have contained documents related to corruption, including misuse of KAAC funds and illegal appropriation of PGR/VGR land,” he alleged.
Citing media and public reports on these allegations, Saikia said demolishing the house without videography or debris analysis further strengthens suspicion.
He requested the Prime Minister to order a judicial or magistrate-led probe into the arson, destruction of evidence and the administration’s role. He also called for sealing the site for forensic recovery, suspending Ronghang, and filing a case against those who allowed the demolition.
“Your immediate intervention will restore public faith in the justice system and uphold constitutional norms,” Saikia concluded.
