HT Digital,
Tezpur, Jan 07: The Assam Minority Struggle Council on Wednesday submitted a memorandum to the Sonitpur District Commissioner and the Superintendent of Police, demanding immediate action against alleged middlemen accused of extorting money from families evicted during the recent eviction drive at the Burhachapori Wildlife Sanctuary.
The organisation alleged that during the two-day eviction operation on January 5 and 6—covering around 6,200 bighas of protected land and affecting nearly 710 families—several intermediaries collected large sums of money by falsely assuring settlers that the eviction would not take place.
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According to the council, the accused charged approximately ₹3,000 per bigha, collecting lakhs from displaced families despite eviction notices already being issued. Audio clips of conversations related to the alleged money collection are reportedly circulating on social media.
A list of 12 accused persons was submitted, with Giasuddin alias Gesu named as the prime accused. The council claimed Gesu is allegedly linked to the BJP and that the group used the names of MLAs and MPs to gain credibility while collecting money.
The organisation demanded the arrest of the accused within 24 hours, a neutral probe into their assets, refund of the extorted money to the evicted families, and strict monitoring to prevent further exploitation of displaced residents.
The eviction drive was completed peacefully by the district administration earlier this week.
