Rs 64L cash seized, 10 arrested in Assam extortion case

In connection with an alleged extortion case, the Assam Police have arrested at least 10 people, including an IPS officer, and also seized Rs 64 lakhs in cash.

DSP Siddhartha Boragohain and SP Gayatri Sonowal were taken into custody according to Special DGP Harmeet Singh, who stated the arrests were made in connection with the case in Bajali district.

The cash recovered was in Boragohain's possession.

Further inquiries are being conducted, according to Singh, and police believe that new discoveries will be made.

"Our team made a significant discovery when they found a suitcase concealed inside a home. The suitcase that Siddhartha Boragohain kept was found to contain a substantial sum of money totaling more than Rs 64 lakh. The suitcase had fingerprints, and DNA testing is still being done" Singh said.

According to the senior Assam Police officer, a raid by the police one Rafiqul Islam's home signalled about a drug nexus.

"But no illegal drugs were found. Islam was then taken into custody and sent to a police station in Bhawanipur, where one of the people who was arrested was an officer there," Singh said.

Following Islam's arrest, it was discovered that he had reportedly been forced into handing over a sizeable sum of money.

More specifically, a payment of Rs 10 lakhs had been made using cheques, of which only two carried the necessary amounts and 21 were blank, the police said.

These bear the mother of Rafiqul Islam's signature.

Police seized 17 cell phones from the accused as part of the investigation, along with a laptop and other things.

"On August 17, the Additional SP's Personal Security Officer (PSO) asked Islam's family for two MacBook laptops and two (Toyota) Innova automobiles. There were receipts discovered proving the purchase of one MacBook. The second is being sought after," Singh said.

"We have high hopes of tying up all the loose ends. To establish a strong case in a court of law, material and circumstantial evidence has been gathered, and technical evidence is being gathered."