Gang busted for theft at Dr Hiren Gohain’s residence in Guwahati

Guwahati Police have arrested a gang involved in a theft at the residence of renowned litterateur and Sahitya Akademi awardee Dr. Hiren Gohain in Nizarapar under Chandmari Police Station. 

The theft, which had caused considerable concern, has now been cracked with the recovery of stolen cash and the arrest of all the accused.

Acting on CCTV footage and technical inputs, police apprehended four individuals from various locations—Lanka’s Noukhuti, Dimapur near the railway station, Guwahati’s Gandhibasti, and Bagulamari in Bilasipara, Dhubri. 

All were part of a coordinated group that allegedly trespassed into Dr. Gohain’s residence and stole cash. The arrests were made in connection with Chandmari PS Case No. 151/2025.

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Dr. Hiren Gohain is a towering intellectual figure in Assam and India. Born in Golaghat in 1939, he earned an Honours degree in English literature from Calcutta University, followed by a master’s from Delhi University. 

He completed his PhD from Cambridge and went on to teach at Dibrugarh University before retiring as a professor of English at Gauhati University in 1998. He received the Sahitya Akademi Award for his scholarly work on Srimanta Sankardev.

Known for his fearless commentary and independent thinking, Gohain has long been a critical voice in Assam’s social and political landscape. During the Assam Movement (1979–1985), he was a vocal critic of the agitation but later acknowledged that the grievances of the Assamese people deserved attention.

Police are continuing their investigation to determine if the arrested gang members were involved in other similar crimes.