Assam DGP: Electronic footprint of absconding BJP leader detected, presumed beheaded contractor found alive

Assam Police have traced the "electronic footprint" of absconding BJP leader and contractor Sunil Gogoi, who was previously presumed dead. Director General of Police (DGP) G P Singh confirmed on Sunday that Gogoi is alive and currently outside the state, although his exact location remains unknown as he frequently changes his mobile phone.

Gogoi was declared an absconder following the shocking discovery that a headless, charred body found near his residence in Sapatia Chetia village, Lakhimpur district, did not belong to him but to his family mason, Jahangir Hosain. The family had performed last rites, believing it to be Gogoi. However, a subsequent DNA test revealed the true identity of the deceased, prompting police to declare Gogoi as a suspect in the mason's alleged murder.

The Criminal Investigation Department (CID), now spearheading the investigation, has gathered substantial evidence regarding Gogoi's whereabouts. "Sunil Gogoi is alive. We have detected his electronic footprint, but due to his constant change of mobile phones, pinpointing his exact location has been challenging," DGP Singh stated.

The DGP suggested that financial motives, possibly linked to an insurance claim, might have been the driving force behind the plan to pass off Hosain’s body as Gogoi’s. The investigation has implicated individuals close to the contractor in the scheme. Gogoi, who held the position of Vice President in the BJP Kisan Morcha Dhakuakhana District Committee, was also a contractor with the Jal Jeevan Mission and had previously exposed corruption within the Public Health Engineering Department, leading to the arrest of an Executive Engineer by the Chief Minister’s Vigilance & Anti-Corruption wing.