Guwahati: On the basis of an FRI lodged by the water resource department Cachar police in Assam arrested four individuals namely Kabul Khan, Mithu Hussain Laskar, Nazir Hussain Laskar and Ripon Khan. The arrested criminals damaged the Bethukandi embankment in Cachar district for which a devastating flood hit Silchar city and other parts of the district.
Cachar police nabbed the main accused, Kabul Khan, on Friday night. Ramandeep Kaur, Superintendent of Police in Cachar, confirmed their arrest. She stated that the police were further investigating the issue.
On May 24, the Water Resources Department filed a police complaint against unknown miscreants for breaking through the embankment at Bethukandi, some 3 kilometres from the town centre, to allow rainwater from a marsh to pour into the Barak river. Police arrested three other accused, Mithu Hussain Laskar, Nazir Hussain Laskar and Ripon Khan on Saturday night.
Visiting the flood-affected Silchar city Assam CM Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said that humans caused the devastating flood and those responsible will face harsh punishment. Sarma said in Silchar on Friday that six persons have been identified as the perpetrators of the embankment collapse that caused a deadly flood in Silchar town. The CM also showed a video where a group of people was damaging the Bethukandi embankment. Kabul Khan, the prime accused, apparently shot a video of the rupture.
“The Bethukandi incident is a big lesson for us. The next time there is a flood, we have to post policemen at the embankment so that nobody can breach it. Regarding the Bethukandi breach, CID has been asked to register a case in Guwahati. Now the case for the Silchar flood shall be registered in Guwahati, people shall be interrogated in Guwahati and all investigations shall be done from Guwahati,” said CM Himanta Biswa Sarma. All the arrested persons were brought to Guwahati on Sunday night where a team of CID is interrogating the criminals.
The flood badly impacted Cachar district and many parts of the Silchar town still remain submerged. At least 14 people of Barak valley lost their lives in the devastating flood caused by the damage of the Bethukandi embankment of the Barak River. The state government provided a one time grant of Rupees 4 lakhs to the kin of the deceased.
