Dibrugarh: Members of the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union (AAGSU) and the Gorkha Mahila Parishad staged a protest in Assam’s Duliajan town on Tuesday, demanding justice for 18-year-old Aman Sonar, who died at the Naoholia De-addiction-cum-Rehabilitation Centre on June 18.
The demonstrators also demanded the immediate arrest of Santosh Limbu, the owner of the rehabilitation centre, who has remained absconding since the incident.
Following the youth’s death, the district administration sealed the rehabilitation centre.
Protesters marched through Duliajan town raising slogans and urging authorities to expedite the arrest of Limbu, who is considered the prime accused in the case.
Aman Sonar, son of Raju Sonar and a resident of Baruah Tiniali No. 15 under Zaloni Grant in Duliajan, had been admitted to the rehabilitation centre for treatment. His body was recovered on June 18 bearing multiple injury marks, triggering allegations that he had been assaulted by Limbu and other staff members, leading to his death.
Police have so far arrested three persons — Hemant Sharma, Lal Bahadur Magar and Shiv Thapa — in connection with the case. The accused were apprehended in separate police operations.
However, Santosh Limbu continues to evade arrest, with police carrying out search operations to trace him.
“It has been days since Aman Sonar was allegedly beaten to death inside the rehabilitation centre, and the main accused, Santosh Limbu, is still at large. This is unacceptable. We urge the police to arrest him immediately. We will not rest until he is behind bars,” an office-bearer of the All Assam Gorkha Students’ Union said during the protest.
The organisations had earlier submitted a memorandum to the Senior Superintendent of Police, Dibrugarh, seeking swift action in the case.
The protesters warned that their agitation would continue and intensify if the prime accused was not arrested at the earliest.
“We have started our investigation and the accused will be arrested soon,” a police official said.