Guwahati: Hasina Begum Arrives At DGP Office, Seeks Security Detail

Hasina Begum, whose viral audio clip exposed the long-standing fake gold and fake currency notes smuggling in Assam’s Lakhimpur, arrived at the office of the director general of police (DGP) in Guwahati on Wednesday.

According to information received, Hasina Begum, who came with her minor daughter, met with inspector general of police (IGP) Nitul Gogoi. During the meeting, she expressed her fears for her daughter and highlighted the lack of protection that she has been receiving.

Hasina Begum said that her daughter has been unable to go to school for the last one-and-a-half months due to inadequate security measures. Having listened to her grievances, IGP Gogoi promised her security detail at the earliest.

It may be noted that Hasina Begum had filed a complaint against smuggling of fake gold items in Lakhimpur’s Bangalmora. The complaint was filed on April 4 this year at the anti-corruption cell.

Meanwhile, it has come to the fore that newly appointed Lakhimpur SP Anand Mishra will arrive at the DGP office on June 12 to file a report pertaining to the investigation into the fake gold smuggling nexus.

As of now, several fake gold smugglers remain scot free. Rafiqul Islam, the husband of Hasina Begum is one of the main accused. Police believe his arrest will open the pandora’s box in the case.

Moreover, Hasina Begum has also given the police the names of several smugglers who remain scot free. They are Majibur Rahman, Ajijur Rahman, Nurul Islam of Nowboicha and Mainul, Abu Hanif and Rafiqul Islam of Bangalmora.

Earlier last month, the inspector general of police for law and order (IGP L&O), Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan has been entrusted with the investigation into the now viral leaked audio clip between additional superintendent of police (ASP) Lakhimpur, Runa Neog and Hasina Begum.

A telephonic conversation between Hasina Begum, the local informant of now deceased Morikolong sub-inspector (SI) Junmoni Rabha, who reportedly informed her about the rampant fake gold and fake currency operations in Lakhimpur’s Bangalmora, which she was investigating, and Runa Neog, the then ASP of Lakhimpur.

The now deceased SI, Junmoni Rabha had gone to Bangalmora on May 6 to catch a fake gold trader named Asgar Ali after receiving information from Hasina Begum.

Meanwhile, the viral audio clip of the telephonic conversation between ASP Runa Neog (who has since been transferred) and Hasina Begum pointed towards allegations from the public of a police-criminal nexus operating at large at Bangalmora from a long time.

Runa Neog was heard threatening Hasina Begum to put her behind bars for her role against the nexus. Since the accident that killed Junmoni Rabha, Hasina Begum has spoken to the media several times where she mentioned that she had been warned by Rabha that her life was in danger.

According to long standing public allegations about the role of police in the nexus of fake gold and counterfeit notes, the operations are going on within a small area of only a few square kilometers under which villages like Pandhowa, Borsola, Moghuli, Tinithegiya, Sonapur, Jubanagar, etc fall. These villages come under the jurisdiction of under Bangalmora, Nowboicha, Silanibari and Dolahat Police Outposts and Laluk and Bihpuria Police Stations.

Runa Neog, who has been posted in Lakhimpur since 2017, is allegedly involved in the fake gold and counterfeit note nexus in Bangalmora.

Also Read: Runa Neog's Viral Audio Clip To Be Probed By IGP Prasanta Bhuyan