KHONSA, 24 Mar: The sessions court here in Tirap district on Wednesday convicted two accused – Suresh Chakma alias Bakksu Chakma alias Subhash Moni Chakma, and Prem Chakma alias Sikko Chakma alias Garbhenga Chakma – under Section 341/364 A of the Indian Penal Code and Section 25 (1B) (a) of the Arms Act.
They were sentenced to life imprisonment along with payment of fine for the offence of “wrongful restraint with kidnapping for ransom and possessing illegal arms.”
Besides the duo, the court has also convicted 11 other accused persons, namely, Sukhomoni Chakma alias Gori, Pradip Chakma alias Dipe, Induranjan Chakma alias Indugulu, Noni Chakma, Shankar Chakma, Manu Hatchey Chakma, Dhanoraj Chakma, Sunanta Chakma alias Pitu, Sanjeet Chakma alias Motibab, Shantimoi Chakma, and Jevan Chakma alias Pettu under Section 411 of the Indian Penal Code, and sentenced them to pay fines “for their offences of receiving portions of ransom amount from the main accused persons with knowledge that the same was dishonestly extorted by the main culprits.”
On 1 April, 2019, one Kashyap Baruah, an employee of the ONGC (Udipta Energy and Equipment Private Ltd) working in an oilfield in Balipathar, was coming back with driver Manak Gogoi in their official vehicle. On the way to Gautompur area, the accused persons, namely, Prem Chakma, Bakksu Chakma and Rajkumar Chakma (since deceased) stopped their vehicle, brandishing dummy AK47 guns, and kidnapped Baruah at gunpoint.
He was detained in the forest for 29 days, and Rs 3 crores was demanded from the company as ransom for Baruah’s release. After much negotiation, Rs 40 lakhs was paid to the miscreants as ransom for his release.
SI Ramakant Yen of the Diyun police station conducted intensive investigation of the case and arrested 14 miscreants who were involved in the commission of the offence. Of the entire ransom, he managed to recover Rs 30,79,500, besides recovering a muzzle loading gun and the dummy AK47 rifle used by the miscreants during the commission of the offence.
On completion of investigation, he submitted chargesheets against the accused persons.
Thereafter, Changlang Chief Judicial Magistrate D Niri took cognisance of the offence and committed the case for trial to the Khonsa sessions court and Sessions Judge H Kashyap.
Prem Chakma and Bakksu Chakma had previously been convicted in another case of similar nature, involving the kidnapping of a tea garden employee for ransom. (DIPRO)
