GUWAHATI: Subodh Biswas, responsible for the March 6 ransacking of the All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) office at Silapathar in Assam’s Dhemaji district, was arrested from West Bengal’s North 24 Parganas in the wee hours of Wednesday. Biswas, the president of Nikhil Bharat Bengali Uddastu Samannay Samiti (NBBUSS), had allegedly instigated a mob at a rally with his speech that led to the incident. He had gone underground after the incident.
“He was arrested along with one of his close aides Subhas Biswas in North 24 Parganas by a team of Assam and West Bengal police. The area is 3-4 km from the India-Bangladesh border,” said Assam DGP Mukesh Sahay.
Later, Subodh Biswas and Subhas Biswas were brought to Guwahati on a Jet Airways flight on a five-day transit remand. ADG (law and order) Mukesh Agarwal, who supervised the operations in Bengal, said Subodh kept changing his hideouts. He said Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal personally monitored the case on an hourly basis over the past few days.
Given the widespread protests in Assam against the incident, there is a perception that the situation may turn tense as Biswas has been brought to Assam.
An unruly mob, mostly NBBUSS members, had ransacked the AASU office during a procession. The mob had damaged photos of legendary singer-composer Bhupen Hazarika among others.
The NBBUSS had organised the rally to protest alleged harassment of Bengali Hindus by authorities suspecting they were illegal Bangladeshi immigrants.