Chief minister Tarun Gogoi flanked by Ardhendu Dey (left) and Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati, June 22: Embattled Assam agriculture minister Ardhendu Kumar Dey has written to chief minister Tarun Gogoi, requesting him to have the “unsubstantiated” kidnapping and murder case against him dropped to silence the Opposition’s clamour for his ouster.

Dey and minister of state for planning and development Himanta Biswa Sarma have been under fire from the Opposition for continuing to hold office in spite of having three criminal cases against their names. Hojai police registered the case against Dey in 1998.

A source in Dispur said Sarma, named as accused in two cases under the Terrorist and Disruptive Activities (Prevention) Act, could follow Dey’s example in a bid to retain his berth in the ministry when it is downsized.

Both Dey and Sarma insist they were framed, citing the fact that the AGP was in power when they were implicated in the three cases.

Gogoi is planning to visit New Delhi on June 29 to show the Congress high command the list of legislators he proposes to include in his ministry. The downsizing exercise has to be completed by July 7.

Dey today said he wrote to the chief minister on June 19, seeking action against the then Nagaon superintendent of police, the subdivisional police officer and the officer-in-charge of Hojai police station for allegedly hatching a conspiracy with former chief minister Prafulla Kumar Mahanta and some of his AGP colleagues.

The agriculture minister, who stands accused of complicity in the kidnapping and murder of Krishnagopal Debnath in 1998, said Gauhati High Court’s observations while hearing his petition to quash the case encouraged him to take the step. Citing precedents in other states, he urged Gogoi to get the charge against him withdrawn under Section 321 of the CrPC.

“This is the first time that I have moved the chief minister to get the charge dropped. I had nothing to do with the earlier attempt (to drop the case) nor was I aware of any. I was silent all this while because I had nothing to prove my innocence. Now I have the court’s ruling. The AGP took a special liking to me maybe because I was very vocal against them as the deputy leader of the Opposition,” Dey said.

On June 11, Justice S.K. Kar of Gauhati High Court observed that Dey’s name does not figure in the FIR and that most of the 50 witnesses have not accused him of complicity in the crime. He said co-accused Dhiren Das, too, had denied having links with any politician.

The judge said the last recorded sentence of Das, wherein he said Dey was involved in the conspiracy along with Himangshu Roy, appeared to be an “afterthought by way of addition at a later stage, going by the handwritings”.

“After carefully going through the case diary, I am of the view that the connection of the petitioner (Dey) with the commission of the alleged offence is very remote, but then, at this stage, I am not in a position to express a definite opinion or to take a stand.”