GUWAHATI, July 29 - The State government will reopen the missing case of Tirap Autonomous District Council Demand Committee (TADCDC) president Prasanna Turung and his wife, six years after the CBI filed a closure report in the case.
Official sources today told The Assam Tribune that the government has decided to reopen the controversial case and it will soon take a call on how to proceed � when to entrust a state agency or go for a probe by a central organisation.
Earlier today, the issue was raised by BJP MLA Numal Momin in the State Assembly, who sought the details of the investigation report. Replying to the query, Parliamentary Affairs Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary said Turung and his wife, Komai Turung, had been missing since 2007.
An FIR stating that the couple had been missing was lodged on April 4 that year by the TADCDC at Margherita police station. A second FIR was also filed in the case a day later by the secretary of the TADCDC at the same police station stating that the couple had been kidnapped from their residence at APO Colony, Margherita allegedly by one Apu Chanda and Ramu Chanda of the same colony. Both the accused were arrested and forwarded to judicial custody, but despite a vigorous and state-wide search, the couple could not be traced.
The minister said the case was transferred to the CBI in 2008.
�The CBI, after investigating into the matter, informed the State government that in spite of all efforts, the kidnappers could not be nabbed nor the kidnapped persons traced. A closure report was filed in the Court of Special Judicial Magistrate, Assam which was accepted in August, 2013,� the minister said, adding that the government might consider reopening the case if there is any demand.
Many had dubbed the disappearance of the duo a political conspiracy.
Prasanna Turung was also the NCP candidate for the Margherita Legislative Assembly Constituency during the 2006 Assembly elections, while his wife was the secretary of the State youth wing of the party.
