In the wake of protests from the family members who had refused to accept the body of slain All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU) president Lafiqul Islam Ahmed to perform the last rites, Assam Police arrested two people in connection with the murder in Kokrajhar on Wednesday.
Speaking to the media, Kokrajhar SP Rajen Singh said, “The prime suspect, Entaj Ali, 30, has been arrested and interrogation is going on. He was nabbed on the basis of his involvement with the cattle syndicate at Srirampur along the Assam-Bengal border.”
Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay, who has been camping in the area which remained tense after the murder, announced on Wednesday that the police have also nabbed Gautam Ghose, 35, owner of the tiles shop where Ahmed had gone to purchase tiles when he was shot dead.
The DGP said 12 bullet entry and exit wounds were found on Ahmed’s body. An empty cartridge of 7.65mm bore and another of 9mm bore were recovered from the spot. He further said a special investigative team (SIT), headed by deputy superintendent of police (headquarters) Prakash Medhi, was set up to probe the murder which has the potential to cause communal tension in the Bodo belt of western Assam.
Ahmed, 33, was killed by bike-borne gunmen on Tuesday at Titaguri market, 10km from his native Salakati village.
The police were forced to keep Ahmed’s body at a mosque near his house till the DGP and Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary persuaded the family to accept the body. Mohilary assured the aggrieved family that he would request Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal to announce an ex gratia of Rs 50 lakh and give government jobs to two members of Ahmed's family.
Meanwhile, Union Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju has categorically stated that if the Union government receives a proposal from the state for a CBI probe into the killing, the Centre would cooperate.
The deceased leader was vocal about the ongoing cattle smuggling along the porous Indo-Bangla border.
Thousands of people gathered at Ahmed’s house in Salakati on Wednesday evening to pay homage to the deceased and attend the last rites which took place there amidst tight security.
