A shocking murder case has come to light in Assam's Dibrugarh district, where a man was allegedly murdered by his wife and teenage daughter, who were arrested by the police. Two others, believed to be the teen's friends, were arrested in connection with the killing of the man, identified as Uttam Gogoi.
The 52-year-old businessman was found dead at his home in Lahon Gaon, Jamira, on July 25. The incident initially looked like a case of robbery, but a probe later revealed that it was a well-planned murder.
After the incident came to the fore, residents of Barbaruah staged a protest in front of the Barbaruah police station, demanding strict punishment for the accused, news agency PTI reported.
Senior Superintendent of Police V V Rakesh Reddy confirmed on Sunday that four individuals have been taken into custody, including Gogoi’s wife and daughter.
"We have arrested four persons in connection with the murder of Uttam Gogoi. His wife, daughter, and two others were brought to the Borbaruah police station for questioning," PTI quoted Reddy as saying.
In a startling development, Gogoi’s minor daughter, who is currently a class 9 student,has confessed her involvement in the crime.
"We are investigating the matter and as per law, we will take action against all of them," Reddy added.
Police suspect the killing was meticulously planned over an extended period but earlier attempts proved unsuccessful. Eventually, the accused were able to carry out their plan in July, with help from the girl’s friend and another teenager, both allegedly under 18 years old, PTI reported.
"It was a long-term plan to kill the man. They had also planned to kill him earlier, but somehow it did not succeed. They were finally successful in killing him in July. We are investigating to find out the exact cause of the murder," another police official said.
According to police, the two teens were reportedly hired as contract killers and were paid substantial sums of money and gold jewellery for the act.
A report by NDTV said that the Class 9 teen was in a relationship with 21-year-old Dipjyoti Buragohain, one of the two other acccused. The police have recovered the jewellery given to the two other accused to execute the murder.
Victim's Brother Suspects Murder After Finding Severed Ear
The deceased's brother said he was informed on the morning of July 25 that his brother had suffered a "pressure stroke." However, upon arriving at Gogoi’s residence, the family noticed disturbing injuries on her brother's body, which made him suspicious.
"I immediately rushed to his residence and found that Uttam had died. We found a piece of his ear, and the umbrella was open. We thought that it was a dacoity incident when we found the cut marks on his ear," he said.
“If my brother had truly died from a stroke, how did he get those injuries?” Gogoi's brother asked.
Investigation is underway to determine the exact motive behind the murder and police are piecing together how the plan was executed.