Dacoits behind Dibrugarh killing, fled with cash after firing

Tinsukia: In a significant development, the police have claimed the role of a “group of dacoits” behind the killing of an employee of Vinayak Flour Mill, Om Prakash Agarwal, in Assam’s Dibrugarh town on Tuesday evening.

Agarwal was shot dead at Graham Bazar, 100 metres from his residence. He sustained two bullet injuries on his stomach and succumbed to his injuries at Assam Medical College and Hospital.

Speaking with EastMojo, deputy inspector general of police (North Eastern Range) Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan said, the miscreants reportedly fled with Rs 2 lakh cash. “As per preliminary investigation, the motive behind the killing seems to be “loot” and a gang of dacoits are behind the killing.”

“The police are trying to identify those involved in the killing,” added Bhuyan.

According to Bhuyan, the victim used to collect payment from the retailers. “The miscreants seemed to be following him after receiving this information. They intercepted him today and shot him before fleeing with payment collected by the victim,” he added.

Speaking with EastMojo, flour mill owner Rajesh Beriwal said the victim was one of their main employees. “At times, he used to collect payment from parties while going home and deposit with us next day. It is not sure whether he had received any payment yesterday before the incident took place,” he said.

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“His last rites will be performed today,” he added.

Agarwal is survived by his wife and three daughters. Barring his eldest daughter, the other two are unmarried.

According to sources, there has been a sudden rise in dacoity-related incidents in upper Assam’s Tinsukia and Dibrugarh districts in the past one month. A few days ago, armed miscreants looted cash at a petrol pump in Digboi in Tinsukia district at gun-point.

On Monday evening, two unidentified motorcycle-borne miscreants broke the glass of a Swift Dzire car at Nauphukri in neighbouring Tinsukia town and decamped with Rs 1,90,000 cash.