Assam businessman death: Probe reveals wife, teen daughter planned murder

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Assam’s Dibrugarh district was left in shock this week after police uncovered an alleged murder plot involving the wife and teenage daughter of local businessman Uttam Gogoi. Fifty-two-year-old Gogoi was discovered dead at his home in the Barbaruah neighbourhood on July 25 in what initially appeared to be a robbery.

Police quickly unraveled a more complex scenario. According to NDTV, investigators determined that Gogoi’s wife, Boby Sonowal Gogoi and their 16-year-old daughter, a student in Class 9, were central to planning the killing. Two others, including a minor and 21-year-old Dipjyoti Buragohain, who reportedly was in a relationship with the teenager, were also apprehended in connection with the murder.

Authorities cited by NDTV alleged that the mother-daughter duo paid both Buragohain and the minor a significant sum of money and provided gold jewellery as payment for carrying out the act. The police noted that the stolen jewellery has been recovered as evidence.

Senior Superintendent of Police Rakesh Reddy described how the suspects attempted to stage the crime scene as a robbery in order to mislead authorities. However, inconsistencies in their accounts and the results of forensic analysis swiftly pointed to their involvement. “They tried to make it look like a robbery to confuse the police, but their stories didn’t match. Forensic evidence also showed their involvement,” Rakesh Reddy was quoted by NDTV.

The case has caused an uproar in the usually calm community of Lahon Gaon, where Gogoi was regarded with high esteem. News of the arrests triggered protests in Barbaruah, with residents demanding strict legal action against all implicated.

Police continue to question the suspects to establish a clear motive. “The investigation is going on. We are questioning the suspects to get to the bottom of this. Once it’s finished, we will know the motive behind the crime,” Mr Reddy confirmed in his statements, NDTV reported.