Assam: CBI to probe abduction case of ex-hill council member's brother; trouble for NCHAC CEM Debolal Gorlosa?

The Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) has filed an FIR with regards to the abduction case of Jibon Kemprai, the brother of the former North Cachar Hills Autonomous Council (NCHAC) member Mohendro Kemprai. And with, eyebrows are also being raised if this could mean trouble for NCHAC CEM Debolal Gorlosa.

The CBI re-registered the FIR in its ACB office in Shillong following the directive of the Gauhati High Court where it told the central probe agency to take over the case pertaining to the kidnapping of Jibon Kemprai, which took place seven years ago on January 27, 2016. 

The case gets interesting here as Debolal Gorlosa has been alleged to be the prime suspect behind the kindapping of Jibon Kemprai.

The CBI filed the case under sections 365, 506 and 34 of the IPC 'abduction, criminal intimidation' of Jibon Kemprai. The FIR by CBI was lodged based on the Gauhati High Court's order dated October 12 this year, in relation to an FIR that was filed on January 28, 2016, following the abduction of Jibon Kemprai. The FIR filed in 2016 at the Diyungmukh police station in Dima Hasao district, had stated that the kindapping was done to prevent Mohendro Kemprai from attending  emergent session of the NC Hills Autonomous Council, Haflong, to be held on 29th January’ 2016, where apparently a "no confidence motion" was to be passed against the then ruling party. 

As per the FIR filed by Mohendro Kemprai over the kidnapping of his brother on January 27, 2016, Jibon Kemprai was kidnapped from from his residence at Jongshorhadi village under Hamri Constituency at around 09:30 pm by unidentified miscreants. Mohendro Kemprai's FIR had also stated that the kidnappers categorically threatened to the complainant that he should abstain from attending the emergent session of the NC Hills Autonomous Council, Haflong, to be held on 29th January, 2016, otherwise there would be dire consequences. 

It has also been alleged that Debolal Gorlosa had called up Mohendro Kemprai and told him not to vote in the no confidence motion at the NCHAC Council, just a couple of days before the abduction of Jibon Kemprai.

Meanwhile, Jibon Kemprai remains missing since the fateful night of January 27, 2016. 

Noteworthy here is that initially the police investigation into the case could not make much headway. This was followed by Jibon Kemprai's wife Jaisodi Thaosen approaching the Gauhati High Court by filing an instant writ petition seeking a CBI probe into the case. 

Interestingly, during this period, a Special Investigation Team (SIT) of the police headed by SP Dima Hasao district also probed the case but could not make much headway, except for making a few arrests and recording the statements of a few eyewitnesses. Noteworthy is that the SIT did not even question Debolal Gorlosa who allegedly made the threat phone to the victim's brother Mohendro Kemprai ahead of the kindapping. 

On the other hand, the six persons who had been arrested in connection with the kidnapping were released on bail, and their wives were provided with government jobs in the council. 

During its observation, the Gauhati High Court expressed that the case should be handed over to the CBI for probe, while also accepting that there is a possible political angle in the case. 

The case also assumes significance as it has been explicitly stated by Mohendra Kemprai that his brother was abducted in order to keep away from the crucial sessions of the NCHAC council, where a "no confidence" motion was to be passed against the ruling party. Mohendro Kemprai was the Dima Hasao district president of the Congress party back in 2016. 

What is more is that current NCHAC CEM Debolal Gorlosa is an accused in the case and many are expecting that the CBI probe may land up at Gorlosa's doorsteps seeking answers.