The director general of police (DGP) in Assam, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Wednesday accepted that Assam Police were in the wrong while investigating the Arnamai Bora murder case.
However, DGP Mahanta mentioned that the police did not add charges under sections 120 (B) and 34 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) against the two accused in killing of 58 year-old school teacher Arnamai Bora.
The Assam DGP told reporters, “We have to be careful so that such an incident does not happen in the future.”
It may be noted that yesterday the Gauhati High Court had reduced the death sentence awarded to the two convicts, Salim Uddin and Moinul Haque by a lower court. Hearing an appeal filed by the two, the court observed that the police did not submit any hard evidence to support their claim of rape in the case.
Based on the evidence presented, the high court reduced the convict’s death sentence to three years of imprisonment. In December 2022, the Gauhati HC had quashed the earlier verdict of the lower court that had sentenced the convicts to death in the 2017 incident.
A bench consisting of acting chief justice N Kotiswar Singh and justice Arun Dev Chaudhary also put a hold on their sentences.
The Additional District and Sessions Judge Court in Hojai had awarded the primary defendant Moinul Haque the death penalty, while co-accused Salim Uddin had been handed a life sentence. The incident had taken place in Jamunamukh in the Hojai district of Assam.
Following widespread protests and public anger, the police had spurred to action and caught the two accused. The incident had come to light after the recovery of the victim’s body near the Kopili River at Jamunamukh.
Arnamai Bora, who frequently crossed the river to take classes at Changjurai Ilashi Deuri Primary School, was ambushed by the two. They had also confessed to the police of raping and strangulating the victim and getting rid of the body.
