Was Rantu Paniphukan Framed? Defence Says Police Running on ‘Zero Evidence’

The legal counsel representing Veer Lachit Sena chief secretary Rantu Paniphukan has alleged that the police have fabricated a case against his client and arrested him “without any concrete evidence.”

Speaking to reporters after the court hearing, the advocate claimed:

“My client was not present on the day of the incident. He was in Goalpara when the alleged kidnapping took place in Guwahati. The case against him has been manufactured.”

Paniphukan has been arrested by Dispur Police in connection with Case No. 875/25 and booked under Section 140(2) and Section 308 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), which pertain to charges of criminal conspiracy, extortion and kidnapping with intent to murder. He was detained alongside two senior Veer Lachit Sena members — Tanmoy Chetia and Utpal Dutta — who were taken into custody earlier on Monday.

‘Police Acting Without Evidence,’ Says Defence

The advocate strongly contested the application of the charges during the remand hearing, questioning the legality of the arrest.

“Section 140(2) BNS is a Sessions Tribunal section. It has been wrongly imposed by Dispur Police and is not applicable in this case. The police case relies only on a telephonic conversation — there is no preliminary evidence against my client,” the defence lawyer argued.

He further said the police will face difficulty justifying the arrest in higher courts.

“In the coming days, we will move either the Sessions Court or the Gauhati High Court for bail. It will be crucial for the police to show what they submit in the case diary because no investigation material exists apart from a phone call.”

The defence also told the court that the individuals directly involved in the alleged abduction have already been arrested.

During the hearing, police sought a five-day remand of the Veer Lachit Sena leaders, but following a defence petition, the court reduced it to three days.

Crackdown on Veer Lachit Sena

The arrests come amid a wider crackdown on Veer Lachit Sena following allegations of abduction, extortion and criminal intimidation involving certain members of the organisation. On Monday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed police to take “strong legal action” against groups operating under organisational banners.

The directive followed a high-level security review meeting held via video conference with all Superintendents of Police (SPs) across the state. The meeting was also attended by Director General of Police (DGP) Harmeet Singh, who instructed district police units to conduct swift, coordinated investigations.

Old Cases Reopened

Sources within the Home Department confirmed that the Chief Minister has instructed law enforcement agencies to reopen old pending cases against Veer Lachit Sena and its members.

Police units across districts have been directed to keep the organisation under strict watch, suggesting that more arrests may follow in connection with past cases.

Also Read: Rantu Paniphukan, Two Veer Lachit Sena Leaders Arrested