A woman, her minor daughter, and two others have been arrested in connection with the alleged murder of 38-year-old businessman Uttam Gogoi alias Sankai, whose body was found at his home in Assam's Lahon Gaon. Police said the killing was the result of a long-term plot orchestrated by Gogoi’s wife and daughter, who reportedly hired two teenage contract killers to carry out the crime.
Confirming the arrests, Dibrugarh Senior Superintendent of Police VV Rakesh Reddy told PTI, “We have arrested four persons in connection with the murder of Uttam Gogoi. His wife, daughter and two others were arrested and brought to Borbaruah police station for investigation.”
Reddy also revealed that Gogoi’s daughter, a Class 9 student, has confessed to her role in the crime. Another senior officer said one of the accused is a friend of the minor girl. “It was a long-term plan to kill the man. They had earlier tried to execute it but failed. In July, they were finally successful. We are still investigating the exact motive,” the officer added.
According to police, both of the alleged contract killers are also minors. Initial investigations suggest the wife and daughter paid them several lakhs of rupees and gold jewellery to carry out the murder.
The case came to light on the morning of July 25, when the family informed others that Gogoi had died of a pressure stroke. However, suspicious details at the scene, including a piece of his ear being severed and an open umbrella beside the body, raised doubts.
{{/usCountry}}The case came to light on the morning of July 25, when the family informed others that Gogoi had died of a pressure stroke. However, suspicious details at the scene, including a piece of his ear being severed and an open umbrella beside the body, raised doubts.
{{/usCountry}}“I rushed to his residence around 8:30 am and found Uttam dead. There were cut marks on his ear, and the umbrella was open. Initially, we thought it was a case of dacoity,” Gogoi’s brother said. “If my brother died due to a pressure stroke, how could there be such injuries? This was a pre-planned murder. We want strict punishment for the killers.”
Following the arrests, residents of Barbaruah staged a protest outside the local police station, demanding justice and stringent action against those involved.
Police have said further action will be taken as per the law, and investigations are ongoing to determine the full scope of the conspiracy and the motive behind the killing.