| Parag Kumar Das | |
|---|---|
Portrait of Parag Kumar Das |
|
| Died | May 17, 1996 Guwahati, Assam |
| Occupation | Journalist Newspaper Editor Human rights activist |
| Ethnicity | Assamese |
| Religious belief(s) | Hindu |
Parag Kumar Das (Assamese পৰাগ কুমাৰ দাস) was the former editor of Asomiya Pratidin,[1][2][3] a radical journalist, human right activist and one of the founders of human rights movement in Assam.[4][5] He was also the founder leader of Manab Adhikar Sangram Samiti (MASS).[3][6] Prior to that he was the manager of Guwahati Stock Exchange. He was assassinated by SULFA in 1996.[1][2][3][4][5][6] He had his education in St. Stephens College and Delhi School of Economics, Delhi.
Contents |
In the afternoon of May 17, 1996, while bringing back his young son from school in Chandmari, Guwahati, Das was assassinated in broad daylight[1][2][3][4][5][6] by four SULFA members - Mridul Phukan alias Samar Kakati, Diganta Baruah, Tapan Dutta alias Biswajit Saikia and Nayan Das alias Guli.[1][4] His public execution created great outrage in entire Northeast India.[4]
In 2001, CBI filed its chargesheet in Kamrup District and Sessions Court against the four accused - all members of the surrendered group of ULFA. Before the CBI filed its chargesheet, Diganta Baruah and Tapan Dutta were killed and in 2003 Nayan Das was hacked to death by a furious mob in Dibrugarh. Promod Gogoi and Prabin Sarma, two other suspects were not charge-sheeted for lack of evidence against them.[1][3][4] Mridul Phukan is the only surviving accused in the case.[4] But after thirteen years, on July 28, 2009, Justice Dilip Kumar Mahanta, District and Sessions Judge, Kamrup, has acquitted the prime accused citing lack of solid evidence.[1][3][4][5][6]
According to human rights activists, the key witnesses were not interviewed, some were intimidated, related materials were tempered to ensure the acquittal of the accused and cover up the state machinery’s role in the case.[4] Three of the accused were expired.[2][4][6] The human rights activist, media, friends and family members of Das, all call it as a betrayal of the CBI and the Court.[5] MASS leader Lachit Bordoloi, expressing his disappointment with the verdict, said that the MASS would approach higher courts and continue the fight for justice to the slain activist.[6]