In all 11 people have been arrested on suspicion of being involved in the kidnap and murder of an Assam youth.
Highland Post reported that one Emadul (or Imdad) Husain had been kidnapped from Assam in September and three suspects led police to his body in South West Garo Hills yesterday.
According to information received today, eight others had been arrested earlier, all from Assam.
The boy was kidnapped in Assam and spirited over the state border into South West Garo Hills. He was housed in the home of one Samrat M Marak, who has also been arrested. The other 10 arrested are all from Assam.
As per a statement from the suspects, the 18-year-old was murdered on September 26. After being struck on the head, he was decapitated and the remains were disposed of in the reserve forest around Domapara forest near where Marak lives.
After being led to the boy’s remains yesterday, an inquest was performed by Assam police at the site in the presence of a local magistrate.
“We initially thought it was a case of teen love due to which Husain was kidnapped but we later found that the kidnapping had been for money after the culprits admitted to the act,” said one of the investigating officers on condition of anonymity.
However, there were no ransom demands made to the family of the victim as the kidnappers became apprehensive due to the police’s search operations. Assam police officials stated that Hussain was possibly killed as he knew the identity of the kidnappers.
Apart from Marak, the others arrested in the case have been identified as Aminul Islam, Saiful Islam, Baharul Islam, Golam Rabbani, Nomej Garo, Ahmed Hussain among others. Further indications of more arrests by police have also been made. Most of those involved in the kidnapping and murder belong to the same village as the victim, Mahishgoma.
Meanwhile, after news of the cold-blooded murder trickled through, locals today demonstrated outside the office of the Deputy Commissioner of South Salmara in Hatsingimari and demanded capital punishment for those involved in the gruesome crime.
