Guwahati: An inquiry conducted by the criminal investigation department (CID) of Assam Police revealed that the person killed during last month’s encounter with police in Udalguri district was Dimbeswar Machahary and not Kenaram Boro alias Kenaram Basumatary, who according to reports, is a surrendered NDFB cadre and a veteran criminal.
According to official reports, the body of Machahary (40), son of late Guniram Machahary of Jengrengpara village under Gobardhana police station of Baska district, has been handed over to the family members of the deceased after following the codal formalities.
Notably, CID was entrusted to conduct the inquiry on March 2, 2023. Two police personnel were also injured in the firing that took place on February 24, 2023, at Dhansirikhuti village under Rowta police station between a team of Udalguri Police and dacoits.
Initially, the body was identified and claimed by the family members of one Kenaram Boro alias Kenaram Basumatary and Udalguri police handed over the body to Savitri Basumatary (mother of Kenaram Boro) who performed the last rites.
Later, the body was claimed by the family members of Dimbeswar Machahary.
“To establish the identity of the deceased, CID exhumed the body and got the DNA analysis done. The scientific analysis revealed that the body is that of Dimbeswar Machahary,” an official statement said on Saturday.
The inquiry report in this regard will be submitted by CID shortly. Further, the investigation into the firing (case registered vide Rowta PS case number 61/2023 under Sections 398/353/333/326/307 of IPC, read with Section 25(1-A)/27 of the Arms act, has also been transferred to CID and is under investigation.
It may be recalled that the Assam Police had denied allegations and dismissed reports of police “mistakenly identifying a person as a robber and killing him” during an encounter in Udalguri district on February 24.
Issuing a clarification on February 26, the state police had said the deceased has been identified as Kenaram Basumutary, a surrendered NDFB cadre and a veteran criminal from Natun Panbari village in Orang.
“Basumatary was the prime accused in several armed robbery cases of similar modus operandi, including armed dacoity at Nalbari police station, armed robbery and firing at a police team from Roing police station (Arunachal Pradesh) and in an armed robbery of a petrol pump at Khliehriat police station (Meghalaya),” a statement issued by the CPRO, Assam Police had said.
Reportedly, the family of the deceased has claimed that the person who died was Dimbeswar Basumatary and not Kenaram Basumatary.
In regard to the encounter, the police force said that based on specific inputs, an ambush was laid at number one Dhansirikhuti Daifang village under Rowta police station by Udalguri Police on February 24 to inhibit a planned robbery by veteran criminal Kenaram Basumatary.
“At about 10.30 am, two individuals arrived at the spot in a motorbike without a number plate. In pursuit of committing robbery, one of the individuals confronted the police team with a 7.65 mm pistol and fired upon the police team causing grievous injury to one sub-inspector and a constable,” the CPRO said in the statement.
“Having come under continuous fire, in self defence, the police team retaliated and as a result, one of the accused sustained bullet injuries. The police thereafter found a 7.65 mm pistol, two rounds of 7.65 live ammunition, one bullet head and one empty case from the deceased. The second individual fled the scene in the motorbike,” the police statement said
“Immediately, the injured policemen and the accused were shifted to the nearest hospital but the accused person was declared brought dead,” it said.
The injured sub-inspector was critical and was referred to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital. “There he underwent surgery and a 7.65 mm bullet was surgically extracted from his right hand and seized,” it added.
With regard to the accused person declared dead, the family of Kenaram Basumutary has identified and claimed the body.
“The body was handed over with a written receipt of the mother of the deceased in presence of two witnesses after inquest and post mortem was conducted by following proper procedure,” the police statement had said.
Notably, Basumatary has been arrested in several cases leading to the recovery of cash proceeds of crime and arms.
The family of Dimbeswar Muchahary had written for the exhumation of the body of the deceased under the supervision of a magistrate.
The police forwarded the family’s written request with an assurance that with the receipt of a positive magisterial order, the exhumation and DNA profiling would be done to verify the claim regarding the identity of the deceased.
The CID of Assam Police, on the other hand, has traced a cyber fraud amounting Rs 80,000.
“On March 7, 2023, a complaint was received from Pulak Nath about online fraud of Rs 80,000 at the 24×7 helpline number 1930 of the Citizen Financial Cyber Fraud Reporting and Management System. The complainant informed that the fraudster defrauded the amount from his State Bank Of India bank account without his knowledge,” a statement issued by the superintendent of police, CID, Assam here on Saturday.
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“On receipt of the complaint, the CID, Assam swung into action and contacted the concerned bank nodal officers over phone and email and alerted them to trace the amount. During the process, CID was able to trace the flow of the fraud account to four other accounts pertaining to three other banks and froze the whole fraud amount of Rs 80,000 in those accounts,” the statement said.
“Owing to the timely action of CID, Assam, the fraudster was not able to misappropriate the fraud money. Necessary legal action is now being taken to refund the amount to the victim,” it said.
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