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'No evidence against Minister in murder case'

By Barun Das Gupta

GUWAHATI, JUNE 22. The Gauhati High Court has not found any evidence against the Assam Agriculture Minister, Ardhendu Dey, in the murder case registered against him by police under the erstwhile Asom Gana Parishad Government.

Dr. Dey distributed copies of the order passed by Justice S. K. Kar on June 11 to presspersons here today.

The victim, Krishna Gopal Debnath, was kidnapped on May 19, 1998, from Nagaon district from where the Minister hails. His decomposed body was found later. Dr. Dey filed a petition in the Gauhati High Court, praying for quashing of the case against him in the lower court. Incidentally, Dr. Dey's name did not figure in the original first information report but was later implicated on the basis of a statement made to police by one of the witnesses.

Rejecting the statement, the High Court said: "It would appear on a closer look that this (statement) is likely to be an afterthought by way of addition at a later stage, noted by the nature of handwriting."

The court also observed that "the FIR does not implicate the petitioner (Dr. Dey) at all," as revealed from the materials available in the police case diary. Also, the "connection of the petitioner with the commission of the alleged offence is very remote." While referring the case back to the lower court, the High Court said, "this court will suggest not as a directive but as an advice that the lower court/trial will take note of these observations made in this judgment."

Dr. Dey said he had written to the Chief Minister, Tarun Gogoi, requesting him to take action against the police officers concerned for filing a "false" case against him and to withdraw the case.

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