CBI pulled up for shoddy probe in Parag Das case
One of the most high-profile cases in Assam was
‘closed’ after the court acquitted Mridul Phukan – the prime accused in the journalist Parag Das murder case due to “lack of solid evidence”.
The high court also pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for failing to furnish substantial evidence against Phukan, a surrendered ULFA militant, who was charge-sheeted by the agency along with three others (who died during the course of the 13- year-long investigation).
However, unsatisfied with the verdict, Bubumoni Goswami, chairman of a human rights organisation Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) – founded by Das – told TSI that it would now take the case to the people.
“The many loopholes in the CBI case prevented the court from passing the right judgement.” The CBI will now file a review petition, Goswami said. “We hope for a fair verdict this time around.” Says Manoj Barua, general secretary of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), a prominent youth organisation of the state: “We want the government to reopen the case and look into it once again carefully.”
According to Dilip Patgiri, member of the People’s Consultative Group (PCG), which has been mediating between the terrorist organisation ULFA and the state government, the CBI failed in its task because the witnesses kept changing their statements. Worse still, soon after his acquittal, Phukan said on TV that during five days of interrogation the CBI had asked him “nothing” about Das’ killing.
His counsel SI Rashul, says, “We are very happy with the outcome. My client was framed for a crime which others had committed.”
As for the Das family, things could not have got any worse. “We did not get the justice we had sought. Justice was both delayed and denied,” says Jyoti Das, Parag Das’ younger brother. AJYCP’s Barua says Das’ family would now file a petition at the Gauhati High Court for a review of the case.
Das, executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin, was killed allegedly by surrendered militants in 1996.
The daylight murder had drawn flak from both the scribe fraternity and rights activists. Many in the state, along with the Assam Journalists’ Association, had been demanding for a decade that the investigation into the murder be speeded up. Finally in 2000 things came to a tipping point. Some prominent citizens filed a PIL to speed up the tardy investigation. Scribes have been on the edge, because since late 1980s twenty- six of them have been killed. Known for his anti-establishment views, Das had a cult following in Assam. Never before has faith in the state machinery been as low as it currently is.
One of the most high-profile cases in Assam was
‘closed’ after the court acquitted Mridul Phukan – the prime accused in the journalist Parag Das murder case due to “lack of solid evidence”.The high court also pulled up the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) for failing to furnish substantial evidence against Phukan, a surrendered ULFA militant, who was charge-sheeted by the agency along with three others (who died during the course of the 13- year-long investigation).
However, unsatisfied with the verdict, Bubumoni Goswami, chairman of a human rights organisation Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS) – founded by Das – told TSI that it would now take the case to the people.
“The many loopholes in the CBI case prevented the court from passing the right judgement.” The CBI will now file a review petition, Goswami said. “We hope for a fair verdict this time around.” Says Manoj Barua, general secretary of the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuva Chatra Parishad (AJYCP), a prominent youth organisation of the state: “We want the government to reopen the case and look into it once again carefully.”
According to Dilip Patgiri, member of the People’s Consultative Group (PCG), which has been mediating between the terrorist organisation ULFA and the state government, the CBI failed in its task because the witnesses kept changing their statements. Worse still, soon after his acquittal, Phukan said on TV that during five days of interrogation the CBI had asked him “nothing” about Das’ killing.
His counsel SI Rashul, says, “We are very happy with the outcome. My client was framed for a crime which others had committed.”
As for the Das family, things could not have got any worse. “We did not get the justice we had sought. Justice was both delayed and denied,” says Jyoti Das, Parag Das’ younger brother. AJYCP’s Barua says Das’ family would now file a petition at the Gauhati High Court for a review of the case.
Das, executive editor of Asomiya Pratidin, was killed allegedly by surrendered militants in 1996.
The daylight murder had drawn flak from both the scribe fraternity and rights activists. Many in the state, along with the Assam Journalists’ Association, had been demanding for a decade that the investigation into the murder be speeded up. Finally in 2000 things came to a tipping point. Some prominent citizens filed a PIL to speed up the tardy investigation. Scribes have been on the edge, because since late 1980s twenty- six of them have been killed. Known for his anti-establishment views, Das had a cult following in Assam. Never before has faith in the state machinery been as low as it currently is.
