Guwahati: Two arrested persons were killed in police firing on Saturday night while allegedly trying to flee custody in south Assam’s Cachar district.
These two deceased were Abul Hussain Barbhuiya, alias Abu (26), and KamrulIslam alias Lakoi (35)
Abul lived in Uttar Krishnapur, Cachar District. Kamrul was from Saidpur.
Police said one of the two featured in the list of ‘most-wanted persons’ in the district for his alleged involvement in extortion, kidnapping, dacoity and vehicle-lifting cases.
Cachar SP Ramandeep Kaur on Sunday said, “On June 30, a case was registered at Silchar Sadar police station in connection with a shootout at Rangirkhari of Silchar town over a property dispute. When we investigated the case we discovered Abul Hussain driving in a car towards Meghalaya.
“Based on the information, the team managed to nab the accused from a vehicle in Meghalaya’s Jorabat area. Two others, identified as Lakoi and Anowar, wanted in several cases, were also apprehended from the same vehicle,” she said.
The police brought all three men to Silchar with two cars on Saturday night. However, the suspect in the land dispute case was also being taken into custody. SP Kaur claims that the pair tried to escape custody by taking advantage of the darkness.
“Due to heavy traffic on the road, the vehicle with the accused in the land dispute case fell behind. The other vehicle, too, was moving at a slow pace, but the two criminals in that police van tried to escape, taking advantage of darkness,” she claimed.
They were chased down by the Silchar officer-in-charge and other staff members, which forced them to fire to end their pursuit.
Kaur said the two were initially taken to Kalain primary health centre, and after first aid, they were shifted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared them “brought dead”.
Since May 2013, the BJP government led by Himanta Biswa Sarma took office, at least 54 have been killed, and 139 more injured, as they attempted to escape custody or attack police officers.