Parag Das murder Case; Assam still waiting for justice

Parag Das murder Case; Assam still waiting for justice

The people of Assam have already lost all hopethat justice would ever be achieved in Parag Kumar Das assassination case. Thefirebrand journalist cum activist exposed the corruption of the government andgross human rights violations in the name of anti-insurgency operations.Therefore, there were many heinous efforts to silence this courageous voice.

In the afternoon of May 17, 1996, as Parag Das was bringing home his young son from school in Chandmari, Guwahati, he was assassinated by four men. An unassuming, erudite man, Das was one of the founders of the human rights movement in Assam and a tireless activist who fought for the rights of the indigenous peoples of Northeast India. Before he found his calling as a rights activist and radical journalist, Das was the manager of the Guwahati Stock Exchange. His public execution in broad daylight elicited outrage in Northeast India. The four accused of assassinating Das were surrendered members of United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA), who formed the core of the "secret killings" strategy, comprising certain members of the security forces and surrendered militants that created terror in Assam from 1996 until 2001.

In 2001, the CBI filed its charge sheet on the assassination to the court. Human rights activists expressed concern, stating that key witnesses were not interviewed; some were intimidated, and material related to the case were tampered with to ensure that there were enough loopholes that would acquit the accused and cover up the role of the state machinery in Parag Das' murder.

On 28 July 2009, District and Sessions Judge, Kamrup, has acquitted theprime accused citing lack of solid evidence.

Das lived only for 35 years, but within such a short span of life, he became a genuine voice of the people. He had an ordinary lifestyle, but his journey was truly extraordinary. Being a brilliant student throughout his academic career, Parag Das could have lived a lavish life doing some white-collar jobs. But such a flamboyant life never attracted him.  He ranked 4th position both in Matriculation and Pre-University (science) exams. Das did his graduation from ST. Stephen's College and Post-graduate from Delhi School of Economics. He left the job of General Manager at Guwahati Stock Exchange to become the Executive Editor of 'Asomiya Pratidin'. 

Related Stories

No stories found.

No stories found.
latest-assam-news-breaking-news-assam>>latest-assam-news-breaking-news-assam/parag-das-murder-case-assam-still-waiting-for-justice
logo
Pratidin Time
www.pratidintime.com