‘Newton’s third law still relevant in Assam’: GP Singh revives 2021 tweet after Ghanakanta Gogoi’s death in police firing

Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) Director General GP Singh on November 4 invoked Newton’s third law of motion following the death of Ghanakanta Gogoi, the prime accused in the October 26 Hotel Bilas Inn shooting that left five people dead, in police firing in Sivasagar district.

Singh, who previously served as Assam DGP, wrote on X: “The relevance of Newton’s third law remains undiminished in Assam. Keep it up.”

He also reposted a tweet from December 1, 2021, which he had originally shared while serving as Assam DGP. The earlier post read: “For every action, there is an equal and opposite reaction - Newton's Third Law.”

The 2021 tweet had come in the aftermath of the death of Niraj Das, popularly known as Kola Lora, the prime accused in the mob lynching of All Assam Students' Union (AASU) leader Animesh Bhuyan in Jorhat.

On November 29, 2021, Bhuyan, the local AASU education secretary, was allegedly attacked by a mob while trying to help an elderly man who had fallen off his scooter. A journalist and another AASU member accompanying him were also assaulted. The attackers reportedly believed that the youths' vehicle had caused the accident. Bhuyan succumbed to his injuries.

Das, who was arrested in connection with the lynching, died on December 1, 2021, after allegedly jumping out of a moving police vehicle during an operation to recover a drug consignment. Police said an escort vehicle ran over him while he was attempting to flee.

Singh’s decision to revive the 2021 tweet alongside his latest message has drawn attention to the parallels between the two incidents, both involving the deaths of accused persons during police operations.

Gogoi, 34, was being taken to Sivasagar in connection with a bank fraud case when the incident occurred near Gaurisagar. According to Sivasagar SSP Papori Chetia, Gogoi allegedly attempted to snatch the service weapon of an investigating officer, triggering a scuffle. Police said shots were fired during the confrontation, leaving Gogoi critically injured. He was later declared dead at a hospital. A police officer accompanying the team was also injured.

Gogoi was the prime accused in the October 26 shooting at Hotel Bilas Inn in Guwahati’s Bora Service area, in which five people, including four members of the hotel-owning Bharali family, were killed.