Hailakandi, May 1 (PTI): A person allegedly involved in illegal coal trade, who fled from police custody, was killed in police firing in Assam’s Hailakandi district in the early hours on Sunday, a top police officer said.
The accused was arrested in Suterkandi area of Karimganj district on Saturday morning in connection with alleged illegal transportation of coal, Hailakandi superintendent of police Gaurav Upadhyay said.
When he was being taken to a hospital in Lala town for a routine medical check-up, he managed to escape taking advantage of heavy traffic, the SP said.
The accused escaped at around 11:30 am on Saturday and immediately police started a search operation in nearby areas and alerted their counterparts of bordering states, the SP said.
Based on specific information that the accused would try to escape through the Lakhinagar area, about 10 km from Lala town, a police check post was set up there.
“At around 1.30 am on Sunday, the accused tried to cross the checkpoint with another person on a motorbike. When police tried to stop them, they opened fire on our team.
“In retaliatory firing, the accused was injured, though the other person managed to escape,” the senior police officer said.
The accused was rushed to SK Roy Civil Hospital in Hailakandi town, where he was declared brought dead, he added.
A police constable has been suspended in connection with the escape of the accused while being taken to the hospital.
The SP said the accused had more than 50 cases of land scam, illegal trade, fake currency, and forgery pending against him.
He said the deceased was the mastermind of the illegal coal syndicate of Barak Valley and a CBI inquiry is also going on against him.
He had even produced his fake death certificate to escape in Mizoram and an inquiry into the matter was also going on, the SP added.
The person had earlier been arrested in Karimganj two years back in connection with a land port scam but was later released on bail, Upadhyay said.
At least 47 people have been killed and 113 injured in police action while allegedly trying to flee from custody or attacking the personnel since the BJP government, led by chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assumed office in May 2021.
