Kaliabor oil theft racket bust: Rupahihat MLA’s son, village headman among 7 arrested

Raha, August 5: The number of arrests in the Kaliabor oil theft racket bust in Nagaon district of Assam rose to seven on Sunday night.

The latest individual apprehended in the case is Dil Mahhamad, the gaon burha (village headman) of Khalihamari village, who was taken into custody by Kaliabor Police on the night of August 4.

Mahhamad’s arrest followed closely on the heels of Rupahihat MLA Nurul Huda’s son, Rezaul Huda Faraji, who surrendered at the Uluvani police station on Sunday night after his name surfaced in connection with the oil theft operations.

“Rezaul has been arrested after questioning and will be presented before the court. We have evidence linking him to the oil theft racket, which will be submitted in court,” an official stated.

Notably, Rezaul is a leader of the All Assam Minorities Students' Union (AAMSU).

Kaliabor Sub-Divisional Police Officer Rupjyoti Dutta had previously revealed that police were tipped off about an oil pilferage racket operating in the Amoni to Sulung area of Kaliabor.

Acting on this information, police apprehended five individuals, seizing Rs. 1 lakh in cash and two luxury vehicles (registration numbers AS 12 AE 8977 and AS 12 AA 2648).

The arrested suspects were identified as Alam Ali from Tezpur Kachari Pam, Jamaluddin from Bagari in Kaliabor, Ibrahim Ali from Samaguri’s Kholihamari, Abdul Khalil from Tezpur’s Bhomoraguri, and Taher Ali from Kaliabor.

Further investigation uncovered a financial link between Rezaul and one of the suspects, Ibrahim, involving Rs 60,000. This amount was traced from Ibrahim’s bank account to Rezaul.

This discovery prompted an intensified search for Rezaul, including nighttime searches at the MLA’s residence in Dispur, Guwahati.

Despite these efforts, Rezaul remained elusive until he voluntarily surrendered on Sunday night.

Meanwhile, MLA Huda has claimed that his son has no connection to the oil theft racket. “The arrested Ibrahim Ali had only returned the money he borrowed from my son,” Huda told the press.