Assam: Former ASP Gayatri Sonowal arrested in Bajali corruption case

Former Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Gayatri Sonowal found herself in legal trouble as she was apprehended from her residence in Guwahati on Saturday. Her arrest is directly linked to the ongoing Bajali Corruption case.

Following her arrest, both Gayatri Sonowal and her husband, Bobby Singh Sharma, underwent a comprehensive health check-up during the night. 

Subsequently, Gayatri Sonowal was held at the women's police station in Pan Bazar overnight, while her husband, Bobby Singh Sharma, was taken to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) headquarters.

The Bajali Corruption case, which has been unraveling over the past weeks, came to the fore on September 1 when the CID detained a total of seven individuals. Among them were five police officers from the Bajali Police force and two drivers, all facing allegations of bribery.

The five police officers in custody include Puskal Gogoi, Deputy Superintendent of Police (HQ) in Bajali, Sub-Inspector Anup Jyoti Patiri, Officer-in-Charge of Patacharkuchi Police Station, Sub-Inspector (P) Debajit Giri, in charge of Bhawanipur Outpost under Patacharkuchi Police Station, and Assistant Sub-Inspector Sasanka Das of Patacharkuchi Police Station. Additionally, ABC Injamamul Hassan, the Personal Security Officer (PSO) of Smti Gayatri Sonowal, who held the position of Additional Superintendent of Police (HQ) in Bajali at the time, was also taken into custody. The two drivers involved in the alleged unlawful activities were identified as Deepjoy Roy and Nabir Ahmed.

The charges and subsequent arrests stem from allegations made by a supari (contract killing) businessman, triggering a comprehensive investigation into the matter. It's essential to note that the Directorate of Vigilance & Anti-Corruption, Assam, had received a complaint regarding monetary demands by police officers. In the first week of August, a trap was set to apprehend the officers, but they became cautious and the operation did not succeed. However, subsequent investigation validated the complaint, leading to the registration of a criminal case on August 31.