Titabor boils over student’s murder; police face heat, OC removed amid inquiry
Four days after disappearance, Titabor student found dead in toilet tank; faith healer reportedly confesses to crime
Residents gheraoed Titabor Police Station on Monday.
Jorhat, Nov 10: The situation in Titabor remained tense for the third consecutive day as hundreds of angry residents continued to gherao the local police station, demanding justice for a college student whose decomposed body was recovered from a toilet tank on the intervening night of Monday.
The gruesome murder has triggered widespread outrage, with protesters refusing to disperse until all accused and erring police officials are brought to book.
In the wake of mounting pressure, the Assam Police has ordered a departmental inquiry against the Officer-in-Charge of Titabor Police Station, Lakshman Kumar Das, following allegations of negligence and misconduct.
Jorhat Superintendent of Police Subrajit Bora confirmed to The Assam Tribune that the officer has been placed under reserve closed status pending investigation.
According to reports, the victim, an undergraduate student of a leading college in Titabor, had been missing for four days. Her family lodged a missing person’s complaint at the station after their frantic search yielded no results.
On Sunday, acting on leads, police detained Jagat Singh, an elderly self-proclaimed faith healer, for interrogation.
During questioning, Singh allegedly confessed to killing the girl and led police to his establishment, where her decomposed body was found inside a toilet tank in a semi-nude condition.
The revelation sparked immediate fury across Titabor. Enraged locals vandalised Singh’s business premises and his residence before marching to the police station, where they have been staging a continuous gherao since Saturday night.
Allegations have since emerged that Singh had been exploiting several women under the guise of running a religious ashram and conducting healing rituals.
The Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti (KMSS) has demanded capital punishment for Singh and demolition of his illegal ashram.
“Jagat Singh has been exploiting women for years under the cover of faith healing. We demand that he be hanged and his ashram demolished,” said KMSS leader Bidyut Saikia, adding that the accused had confessed to raping and murdering the student.
Saikia also accused OC Das of shielding Singh and mistreating the victim’s family. “When they tried to file the FIR, the OC insulted them and made derogatory remarks about the victim’s character. We demand his immediate suspension,” he said.
Police have intensified security around the Titabor Police Station and adjoining areas to prevent escalation. The body has been sent for post-mortem, and a detailed investigation is underway.