Guwahati, July 10: Police have arrested another accused in connection with the suspected murder of Niksamseng Ch Marak at the New Life Foundation Rehab Centre at Nayapara in Goalpara town even as two other suspects, including the owner of the rehab centre, are still at large.

The accused has been identified as Zaheed Ahmed.

Niksamseng Ch Marak, who hailed from Tura’s Araimail and worked as a power pump assistant on a contract basis in the irrigation department in Mendipathar, North Garo Hills, Meghalaya, was allegedly brutally murdered at a rehab centre in Goalpara on July 4. He had been detained there since July 2.

Zaheed Ahmed, who was also an inmate of the New Life De-Addiction Centre, was injured during the clash in which Niksamseng Marak was allegedly murdered by other inmates. He was remanded to 14-day judicial custody on Wednesday.

The owner of the New Life De-Addiction Centre, Rakibul Hussain, along with another inmate, is still absconding.

On Tuesday, Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma sought the intervention of Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for an impartial probe into the murder of the Garo youth.

According to the police version, on July 5, Jintu Chakraborty, the caretaker at the New Life Foundation Rehab Centre, reported at Goalpara Police Station that Niksamseng Marak, who was admitted to the rehab centre, got a head injury while trying to escape on July 4 at 8 am. Marak was subsequently taken to Goalpara Civil Hospital but unfortunately, he died at the hospital.

An unnatural death (UD) case vide Goalpara UD case number 17/24 was registered, inquest and a post-mortem examination were conducted at Goalpara Civil Hospital.
Later in the day, based on a complaint of Kilmelina Ch. Marak, sister of the deceased, a case was registered vide Goalpara Case number 88/24 under section 103(1)/238/3(5) of BNS.

The CCTV footage from the previous day was examined and the recording device followed proper procedure. Eight individuals have been apprehended based on the footage. In the footage, some inmates/caretakers are seen assaulting the victim. These individuals include Jintu Chakraborty (caretaker), Hanif Ali (caretaker and driver), Jahid Ahmed (inmate), Debajit Nath, Mohsin Khan (inmate), Kunal Das, Rokibul Hussain, and Dhanmoina Banikya.
As the investigation continued, the district administration started probing the affairs of the rehab centre, which has been run by several reformed addicts without having any health consultant.

“As there is no standard operating procedure (SOP) prepared by the state government, most of the rehab centres are run by such people without having any experts,” said Goersa Sangma, president, A’chik Holistic Awakening Movement (AHAM), Assam State Zone.
On Tuesday, AHAM, Assam State Zone submitted a memorandum to the Goalpara district commissioner urging him to conduct a probe into the affairs of the New Life Foundation rehab centre.

“The deceased, who was the main provider for his family, was illegally detained and subsequently sent to a rehabilitation centre by Krishnai Police Station without the consent of his family members. Moreover, the centre itself was deemed unsafe for its inmates,” the memorandum alleged.

The memorandum implied that sending inmates to a rehabilitation centre operated under questionable conditions and without proper oversight amounts to negligence on the part of the police station officer in charge.

The AHAM further emphasized the need for district administrations to mandate compliance with Section 71 of the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act (NDPS Act) 1985 for rehabilitation centres within their jurisdiction.

When contacted, Goalpara DC Khanaindra Choudhury said they are discussing the issue and is likely to take a step in this regard.

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