KOLORIANG, Aug 9: Kurung Kumey Deputy Commissioner Santosh Kumar Rai said there is no threat of any kind to the traders from other states in Koloriang town.
“Rumour on social media that the locals are threatening the outsiders to leave the town and are extorting money from them is completely false. There is no such hostile environment as reported on social media. Locals and outsiders have been living together peacefully, and they are still maintaining peace and harmony,” Rai said, and urged the people not to spread “unverified reports” that could create unnecessary nuisance.
Speaking to media persons, the DC informed that a missing/abduction case has been registered at the police station here but “it was an individual issue and not related to communal hatred and threatening in the township.”
Rai said individual disputes occur sometimes and are sorted out under the law. “The report that is doing the rounds on social media is of an abduction case which is being presented in a biased manner,” he said.
Kurung Kumey SP Rajiv Ranjan informed that on 21 July, a written complaint had been received from one Md Akramul Islam, a native of Laluk (Assam), stating that his brother, Anarul Islam, had gone missing from Koloriang on 15 July.
“On receipt of the FIR, a case was registered at the Koloriang police station vide Case No 34/19 U/S 365/34 IPC, and investigation was taken up immediately,” the SP said.
He said that during the initial investigation, the prime suspect, Kama Bagang, his wife, and the alleged victim were found missing.
“An alleged eyewitness was repeatedly interrogated, but he denied seeing any act of abduction and said the alleged victim, Anarul Islam, and his brothers had debt with him and were reportedly running away. As such, he concocted the story of kidnapping to get back his debt, in return of which he offered to negotiate in the case,” Ranjan said.
“Two other suspects were detained and interrogated but their role in the instant case could not be found,” he added.
The SP also informed that “after sustained technical investigation, electronic surveillance and raids in Koloriang and Nirjuli,” the prime suspect and his wife were arrested on 31 July and remanded to six days’ police custody.
“After sustained and intensive interrogation, Kama Bagang confessed to the crime. He stated that on 14 July, he learnt that his wife had cheated on him and was engaged in an extramarital relation with the victim.
“This angered him, and on 15 July morning he searched for Anarul around his shop, followed him, and forcibly took him from a spot near the Pakpu village road tri-junction (about 5 kms from Koloriang) to a foot suspension bridge over the Kurung river, near Paba village, and killed him,” the SP informed.
“As per his confession, he threw the body of the victim into the Kurung river. Visual search for the victim’s body in the river was made but due to heavy and muddy water flow, the body of the victim could not be found. Search for the victim’s body is in progress,” the SP added.
Meanwhile, Koloriang Bazaar Welfare Committee president Bengia Taram informed that there are more than 350 shopkeepers in Koloriang town, and that 70 percent of the shopkeepers are from other states. He said there has been no report of extortion or threat, and stated that if any issue arises, the committee intervenes and solves it before it escalates.
One Md Rafikul Islam, who runs shops in Koloriang town, also informed that there is no intimidation towards them. He described the reports doing the rounds of the social media as “misleading.”
Another shopkeeper, Abdul Barik, said they have lived peacefully for years, adding that they hope to continue to live together peacefully. He appealed to the people not to spread rumours that could spark violence, and called for peaceful coexistence.