Assam: Hunt for land-grabbers on, one injured in shooting for trying to escape police custody

The investigation into the counterfeiting scam of land documents, which is being carried out by the Cyber Police of Assam has turned out to be more complexed than imagined. While a top official of the state police has said that it's only small fishes that are being fished out now, police are on the hunt for the sharks, the land sharks.

A couple of weeks ago, based on a tip off the Crime Branch of Guwahati Police it picked up a computer operator from a Land Sub Registrar office in Guwahati. The confession of this computer operator, identified as Dhrubajyoti, opened a pandora's box. During subsequent investigation, the role of two other individuals, an advocate identified as Mainul Haque and a Deputy Registrar identified as Nitul Das were also established and the two were arrested by the police.

Now, as the investigation is going forward, more and more facts are emerging out. A top official of the police department who is privy to the investigation has informed Republic Digital confidentially, that it is actually a mega scam, which has been going on since the last two-three decades. "It's not just a mere racket of scam involving some brokers and corrupt officials, but what we have found is that it is a mega scam, where hundreds or even close to thousand people have been duped by the racketeers. From big land sharks to the peon, many people are involved," he said.

It has also been learnt that many land sharks are under the radar as well as a few officials and many land grabbers. The investigation has also found that the land grabbers play a very key role in this whole exercise and they are the one who are visible in front most of the time.  

Meanwhile, in one particular incident involving a notorious land grabber, who is also a kingpin in this particular racket, identified as Ramen Modahi of Lalung Gaon in Guwahati tried to give a slip to the police and was injured in a shooting. It has been learnt that based on information provided by the accused Ramen Modahi, police were carrying out searches for other accused persons, when he tried to escape from police custody. As per the laid down protocols, police fired at his leg, injuring him with a bullet in the right leg. He is currently undergoing treatment at the Gauhati Medical College Hospital.