In a case of unrequited love, a local All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leader was killed and his cousin sister critically injured in a machete attack by a teenager, who was later gunned down by police while trying to escape after his arrest in Nalbari district of Assam, officials said on Monday.
The attack on the duo took place in Gangapur village near Jagara on Sunday evening when they were returning home from Nalbari town after purchasing some books, while the police action on the assailant happened at a ‘char’ (riverine island) in Mukalmua on Monday.
The AASU leader, identified as Madhurjya Barman (19), suffered cuts on his head and neck in the machete attack and he was immediately brought to Nalbari Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared him dead, a police officer said.
He was an assistant secretary of Paschim Nalbari Aanchalik Satra Santha, a regional unit of the AASU.
His cousin sister, who is a Class 11 student, has been seriously injured and is undergoing treatment at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital, police said.
“As per information, the accused, identified as Ashik Ali alias Roj Ali, stopped the AASU leader’s scooter 300 metres from the sister’s residence and attacked them with a machete," the officer said.
Nalbari SP Bibekananda Das said police received a tip-off about the presence of Ali at an interior ‘char’ in Mukalmua and a team rushed there to nab him. He had fled to the riverine island on Sunday night.
“We apprehended him there. He led us to retrieve the murder weapon, but he suddenly snatched a self-loading rifle from a policeman and fired three rounds at the team and it hit our vehicles. In retaliation, the law enforcers fired at him and one bullet hit his chest," he added.
Although he was rushed to hospital, doctors pronounced him dead, police said.
Another officer said the incident is a case of rejected love, with Ali proposing to the injured sister of the deceased sometime back. However, she rejected his proposal.
“The attacker had proposed to her when she was studying in Class 9 and both are of the same age. Aggrieved at the rejection, Ali had threatened to kill her in front of her parents," he added.
When the girl’s parents wanted to lodge a police complaint, Ali’s family requested them not to do so and promised that he would never disturb her again. So, the police complaint was not filed.
“However, Ali suddenly attacked her, but her brother tried to protect her and lost his life," the officer said.
AASU vice president Bhabajit Bezbaruah condemned the attack and demanded that the accused be brought to book immediately.
The organisation took out a protest rally through the arterial roads of Nalbari town, raising slogans against the incident and demanding justice for the deceased.
