: An Assam magistrate who allegedly had a hand in diluting a rape-and-murder case for favouring the main accused gave himself up a day after he was declared absconding.
An Assam police spokesperson said Ashirvad Hazarika, the executive magistrate of the Dalgaon revenue circle in Darrang district, surrendered before the Crime Investigation Department (CID) on November 10 night. The CID had summoned him for interrogation on November 9.
Hazarika surrendered hours after suspended Superintendent of Police, Raj Mohan Ray was arrested in the same case. He was the SP of Darrang district when the case relating to the rape and murder of a 13-year-old Adivsasi girl was registered at the Dhula police station in June.
The case was transferred to the CID after the local police were found to have tampered with evidence and pressured the victim’s family not to pursue the case against Krishna Kamal Baruah, the main accused and a Sashastra Seema Bal jawan in whose house the girl was found dead.
According to the police, the executive magistrate pronounced that the minor girl died as a result of suicide without visiting the site of the incident.
The suspended SP was arrested after the police collected evidence that he had taken ₹2 lakh from the kin of the main accused to shield him and dilute the case.
Three doctors of the district civil hospital – Ajanta Bordoloi, Anupam Sharma and Arun Deka – were arrested on November 7 after they were found to have been involved in the dilution of the case. EOM
