Seven days after Binod Phangso, a sub-inspector posted as officer-in-charge of Barpathar police station in Golaghat district — about 300 km from here — was shot while pursuing a fleeing vehicle, preliminary probe has indicated that the bullet which killed him was fired from a constable’s weapon. “Probe suggests that the bullet came from a weapon that a constable fired on January 10 while trying to stop the fleeing vehicle. But we are yet to hear from the forensic science lab, which will have the final word,” said Numal Mahatta, Additional SP of Golaghat, Sunday. On the evening of January 10, Phangso — according to reports — had received information about a vehicle theft, following which he went out on a Tata Sumo, which the police had requisitioned for use at the Barpathar police station. On the road, SI Phangso saw a Tata Ace mini truck (AS09 AC-0428) and tried to stop it. The vehicle ignored his signal and sped away, prompting a chase. [related-post] “.as the chase entered jurisdiction of Sungajan outpost, Phangso contacted sub-inspector Bidyut Bikash Barua, who set up an ambush on the road to intercept the fleeing vehicle. But as the two vehicles crossed the ambush, Phangso was hit by a bullet and died,” said Mahatta. He added that constable Saikia’s weapon showed that six bullets were fired, and three bullet marks were found on the fleeing vehicle (which was seized on Friday) and two on Phangso’s Tata Sumo. in which was travelling. “The constable claimed that he opened fire after being fired upon from the first vehicle,” the officer said. But, sources said, that going by the fact that Phangso’s vehicle was shot at from behind, it appeared that the constable was not aware that the SI was on a chase using a requisitioned civil vehicle, which had no police identification.
