Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ignited a controversy by defending the police’s delay in arresting popular actress Nandini Kashyap in a fatal hit-and-run case.
Chief Minister Sarma called the wait a deliberate “strategy,” an explanation that comes amidst growing public anger over the handling of the incident which led to the death of a 21-year-old polytechnic student, Samiul Haque.
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Addressing the press on Thursday, the Chief Minister said, “It was a strategic decision by the police. Had we arrested her that night, she would’ve had to be released. Now, we are pursuing a case of culpable homicide amounting to murder. There’s a difference between public perception and the course of police action.”
This statement, however, has fueled public confusion due to a stark contradiction with comments made by Guwahati Deputy Commissioner of Police (Traffic) Jayanta Sarathi Borah. In a separate press meet, Borah had stated that police moved to add the non-bailable offense of “culpable homicide not amounting to murder” to the FIR after Haque’s death—a different legal charge from the one mentioned by the Chief Minister.
Critics have also pointed out several procedural delays immediately after the incident. They have questioned the lack of medical or breathalyzer tests for the driver, the latency in seizing the vehicle, and inaccurate statements from the DCP (Traffic) claiming the department was unaware of the incident on July 25.
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These claims were contradicted by CCTV footage that surfaced on social media, which showed a police vehicle present at the scene. Such discrepancies have led to public accusations of initial preferential treatment for Nandini Kashyap, fueling suspicions of influence.
The incident occurred on July 25, when a vehicle allegedly driven by actress Nandini Kashyap fatally struck Samiul Haque. He later succumbed to his injuries on July 29. Following his death, Kashyap was arrested in the early hours of July 30.
Further fueling the controversy, critics and the victim’s family have raised questions about the handling of the vehicle inspection. An MVI (Motor Vehicle Inspector) report was reportedly submitted with unusual speed, while a full forensic investigation was only launched days later after mounting media pressure.
The victim’s family filed a formal complaint to push for a forensic report after the initial vehicle seizure. Despite the procedural concerns, Chief Minister Sarma has publicly defended the actions of the police and transport officials, giving them a “clean chit.”
Nandini Kashyap Remanded to Judicial Custody
Actor Nandini Kashyap was remanded to 14 days of judicial custody on Friday after being produced before the Kamrup (M) Chief Judicial Magistrate (CJM) court. During the hearing, the court sharply criticized the police’s handling of the investigation, particularly the Guwahati traffic police.
The court questioned the credibility of the Motor Vehicle Inspector (MVI) report, which was submitted by the police. The court also expressed dissatisfaction over the report’s timing, asking, “How is it possible to prepare an MVI report in just 28 minutes?”
In response to the court’s query, the police admitted that an MVI report typically takes 3 to 5 days to complete. The court then sought an explanation for how the report in this specific case was filed in less than half an hour.