HT Bureau
GUWAHATI, July 19: The Criminal Investigation Department (CID) on Tuesday filed a chargesheet in connection with a bribery case involving police officers and an accomplice.
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The chargesheeted (CID PS Case No 20/2022) police officials are former Darrang superintendent of police (SP) Raj Mohan Ray, additional superintendent of police (ASP) Rupam Phukan in connection with the June 11, 2022, case of rape and murder of a 13-year-old girl under the jurisdiction of Dhula police station in Darrang district.
The chargesheet also named then officer-in-charge of Dhula police station sub-inspector (SI) Utpal Borah and another accused Niju Nath, wife of Krishna Kamal Baruah.
The investigation, which stemmed from Dhula PS Case 114/2022 regarding the murder of a minor girl, revealed that SI Utpal Borah had accepted a sum of Rs 5 lakh from the family of the accused as a bribe.
The chargesheet was filed under various sections of the Indian Penal Code, Prevention of Corruption Act, and Assam Police Act, 2007.
The minor girl from Prajapathar village under Dhekiajuli police station in Sonitpur district, engaged as domestic help at the residence of one Krishna Kamal Barua of Dhula area in Darrang district, was found dead under mysterious circumstances on June 11, 2022.
During the course of the investigation, evidence was gathered that SI Utpal Borah had accepted the illegal gratification in three installments between June and July 2022, on behalf of himself and the then SP and additional SP, Darrang.
Bank account details, call records, and travel history were analyzed to establish the flow of money and the connection between the accused parties. The investigation further revealed that Niju Nath had mobilised the bribe amount and facilitated its payment to SI Utpal Borah through her relatives.
The chargesheet also highlighted telephonic conversations retrieved from the accused’s mobile phone, which implicated Raj Mohan Ray and Utpal Borah in a conspiracy to extend favour to the main accused in the murder case.
The Forensic Science Laboratory confirmed that the recorded conversations matched the voice samples of the accused individuals, an official statement said.
The investigation concluded that the police officers willfully violated the provisions of the Assam Police Act, 2007, and attempted to protect the accused and obstruct the course of justice. It was also found that Utpal Borah had tampered with his mobile phone to erase evidence.
The charges include criminal conspiracy, destruction of evidence, accepting bribes, and bribing a public servant.
