By Nava Thakuria*
Guwahati: The mysterious death of Jonali Nath, a local leader of the ruling Bhartiya Janata Party (BJP), in Goalpara of western Assam and the subsequent ‘lucid’ narration by the police within 24 hours of her death has sent a shock wave across the state.
Nath was allegedly killed on June 11, 2023, and her body was recovered from Krishnai locality on National Highway 17 yesterday morning. She hailed from Matia village and was serving the party as Goalpara district secretary. The police have arrested a local businessman named Hasanur Islam in connection with the crime.
Expressing utter dismay over the incident of her alleged killing, an influential group of state Intelligentsia and activists under the banner of the Patriotic People’s Front Assam (PPFA) claimed that the police officer investigating the case was trying to narrate the story following the line of the accused (Hasanur). “Anyone found guilty of a crime may speak motivated words to influence the probe in his/her favour. In that case, why did the police officer try to narrate the story following the line of the accused (Hasanur)? Has he found all the convincing details about the murder so instantly? Or did he use his oratory skill to safeguard the accused for reasons best known to him?” asked the forum.
The PPFA urged the police department to direct its officials to dedicate more time, space and energy to a genuine probe rather than indulging in the practice of storytelling in front of the media.
It also appealed to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, also in charge of the Home portfolio, to look into the matter seriously, if the police officer indirectly tried to justify the murder (because allegedly the lady had a two-year-long inclination towards Hasanur!).
“There should be a limit of irresponsibility and personal shame when a police officer can explain the ‘love affairs’ of a victim, who has a full family with two young daughters. How come he became so confident that the accused Hasanur Islam spoke the truth (while the lady is not alive today to defend herself)? Had he not realised that the victim had a family while vomiting his creativity,” said the forum.
It demanded a transparent probe to find the motive behind the killing, asserted the PPFA. Mentionable is that Assam BJP chief Bhabesh Kalita had visited Nath’s residence and assured the workers that those responsible for the crime would be punished.
*Senior journalist
