BJP Leader Bikash Dhar Found Murdered In Assam, Five Arrested By Police

A 52-year-old local BJP leader who had been missing for two days was found dead in Assam's Sribhumi district on Friday, with police treating the case as murder. The body of Bikash Dhar was recovered from an abandoned house in the Yogicherra area near the Tripura border, after his family reported him missing on August 12.

Dhar, a resident of Chagalmowa village under Bazaricherra police station, had reportedly left home after receiving a phone call. According to his son Madan Dhar, the BJP leader told his family that he needed to attend an emergency meeting. When Dhar did not return for several hours and his phone was found switched off, his family began searching for him and subsequently approached the police.

“On August 12, at around 1 pm, my father suddenly went out after receiving a phone call. When we asked him, he said he had to attend an emergency meeting,” Madan Dhar said. He added that his uncle tried contacting Dhar later, but his phone was switched off. The family began searching for him around 10 pm before filing a missing complaint with the police.

Sribhumi Superintendent of Police Leena Doley said police received the missing-person complaint and launched an investigation under the supervision of the Additional Superintendent of Police (Crime). Officers visited Dhar's residence and gathered information before tracing leads that eventually resulted in the recovery of his body.

Police have arrested five people in connection with the alleged murder. The accused have been identified as Abdul Salam, Sifat Ali, Abdul Ahad, Saiful Ali and Badrul Haque. According to Doley, investigators also learned about another alleged suspect, identified as Sunam Miya, who reportedly fled to Tripura on the night of the incident. During interrogation, Abdul Salam allegedly told investigators that the accused had an existing enmity with Dhar. Police said the group killed him and subsequently dumped his body near a water body. The circumstances surrounding the alleged motive and the exact sequence of events are now part of the investigation.

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Police said the body bore injury and cut marks, which strengthened their suspicion that Dhar had been murdered. A murder case has been registered, and investigators are examining the available evidence, including information obtained during the interrogation of those arrested. The investigation also led to a confrontation when police were recovering a weapon linked to the case.

According to the superintendent of police, accused Badrul Haque allegedly attempted to escape from police custody during the recovery operation. Police said a constable was injured while trying to restrain him. Doley said police fired at Haque's leg during the encounter to prevent him from escaping. The accused sustained a bullet injury, while the injured police constable was also taken for treatment.

The police are continuing to investigate the alleged murder and the involvement of each of the arrested suspects. The recovery of Dhar's body near the Tripura border has added another dimension to the investigation, particularly with police alleging that one suspect fled into Tripura. Authorities are expected to establish whether others were involved and determine the circumstances in which Dhar was taken from his home and subsequently killed.

Dhar's death has shocked his family and local community, particularly after he disappeared following what he described as an emergency meeting. Police have said the investigation remains ongoing, while the five arrested suspects are being questioned about the alleged murder and the events leading to the recovery of the BJP leader's body.

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