Police Neutralize Key Suspect in Morikolong Dacoity Case

Encounter Leads to Death of Prime Suspect

Raha, May 26: The individual sought by law enforcement for weeks as the main suspect in the violent Morikolong dacoity case, which resulted in the death of a doctor's wife, was killed during an encounter with Nagaon Police early Tuesday morning.

The deceased, known as Moni alias Khairul Ali, resided in Ward No. 8, Thana Road, Lakhimpur. He was shot during a police operation at Barkundali Mikirpar, following intelligence reports indicating that a gang was preparing for another robbery.

Nagaon Senior Superintendent of Police Partha Pratim Das stated that police received reliable information on Monday regarding a potential dacoity in the area. Acting promptly, teams were deployed overnight to intercept the gang at the specified location.

"As our team approached, the gang fired two rounds at our vehicles. In self-defense, police returned fire, resulting in Khairul Ali's death," Das informed the media.

Authorities recovered a 7.65 mm pistol, two empty cartridges, a machete, and an iron rod from the scene. Fortunately, no police officers were injured during the operation.

The other suspects managed to escape into the night, prompting a manhunt to locate them.

Residents near the encounter site experienced a shocking disturbance. One local recalled, "Around 2 am, we heard sounds resembling firecrackers. When we stepped outside, we saw police and quickly retreated. A police official later informed us about the incident around 3:30 am."

Investigations confirmed long-held suspicions that Khairul Ali was the primary suspect in the Morikolong dacoity, a crime that had deeply unsettled the community and resulted in a tragic loss of life.

The incident dates back to April 24, when an armed group invaded the home of Dr. Ranjit Saikia in Morikolong, Nagaon.

During the robbery, both Dr. Saikia and his wife, Ruprekha Bhuyan, were assaulted with sharp weapons. Bhuyan sustained severe head injuries and was transported to a private hospital in Guwahati, where she battled for her life for over two weeks before succumbing to her injuries.

Following her passing, police escalated the charges against the suspects to include dacoity with murder.

Das identified Khairul as the most responsible among the group. "He was the first to enter the Saikia residence and the first to attack Dr. Saikia. We had his name from statements of previously arrested individuals and had been tracking him, but only located him yesterday," the SSP stated.

Khairul Ali was not an ordinary criminal; police records indicate at least eight theft and dacoity cases against him in Nagaon and Lakhimpur. Investigators also discovered multiple hotel check-ins in Nagaon that linked him to the planning of recent criminal activities.

Prior to Tuesday's encounter, several gang members had already been arrested. Omar Ali and Mintu Ali were taken into custody within a day of the Morikolong robbery.

Additionally, Lamba Ali, Rajibur Rahman, and Nur Hussain were apprehended in Lakhimpur. Two others, Harish Sharma and Satash Shah, were also arrested for allegedly providing logistical support and insider information to the gang.

This encounter is part of a larger, intensified effort to dismantle organized dacoity networks throughout Assam, where such crimes have surged in recent months.

In a separate operation earlier this week, Guwahati Police executed multiple coordinated raids across the city, resulting in the arrest of 10 suspected dacoits.

Investigators are currently examining potential connections between these suspects and organized crime syndicates operating in and around the state capital.