HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, JUNE 2: A late-night robbery on National Highway 38 in Assam’s Tinsukia district has added to growing concerns over rising crime in the Tingrai Station area. The incident occurred around 10 p.m. on Sunday under the jurisdiction of Digboi police station and involved the looting of two local businessmen, highlighting a disturbing pattern of weekly crimes in the region.
Based on residents who live near the highway, a gang of attackers who were not identified stopped Sashi Gupta and Tultul Mahato, both locals of Tinsukia, when they were driving back home on a two-wheeler (AS06S 2460). The attackers, traveling in a four-wheeler, allegedly snatched ₹7 lakh—proceeds the businessmen had gathered from shopkeepers of the Powai locality in the morning.
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We were on our way back when the gang intercepted us, robbed us, and escaped,” one of the victims described. The robbers discarded the key to the two-wheeler, broke a helmet, and dropped an iPhone before fleeing the spot.
This recent robbery comes in the wake of a series of robberies on Sundays. Only last week, thieves broke into the house of Subham Dwara and made away with gold ornaments valued at more than ₹6 lakh when the family was out. The burglars left behind a scooter and a motorcycle as they fled. Another Sunday saw grocery store owned by Dharmendra Deka being looted, also from the highway.
These continuous attacks have disconcerted the community, even with frequent night patrols by the police. The locals are doubting the efficacy of law enforcement and are raising increasing concerns for their security. Authorities have asked Village Defence Parties (VDPs) to remain vigilant, especially with a recent increase in thefts of cattle in the region.
Interestingly, all the significant offenses have been committed on Sundays, something that detectives are investigating as a potential link. Locals claim roadside dhabas and late-night operating hotels—many of them under police radar for selling illicit liquor—are helping to fuel the crime wave.
Adding to the worry, the two-wheeler used during Sunday’s robbery is said to still be in a private home in Tingrai and has yet to reach police custody. In the meantime, the police are still interrogating the victims, whose testimonies have been contradictory, further raising questions in the ongoing probe.
