GUWAHATI: A Guwahati-based journalist Purbajyoti Chutia, who was missing since March 28 night, was found dead in a drain near his residence on Monday morning. The cause of his death is yet to be ascertained, police said. Chutia was associated with vernacular daily Niyomiya Barta.
“On March 28 evening he (Chutia) went out of his rented accommodation at Lakhimingar in Hatigaon, but didn’t return. In the morning, his body was found in a drain near his residence,” said a close aide.
Police officials, who are investigating the incident, said it will be too early to comment on the matter. “We are probing the case. Only after the post-mortem report, we will be able to tell you the cause of death,” said an officer at the site.
The 50-year-old journalist, who hailed from Moran in eastern Assam, used to live with his daughter and wife in Guwahati.
Journalists’ Forum Assam (JFA) expressed shock and grief over the mysterious death of Chutia. “His body has no major injury mark, as the investigating police officer observed, and thus it becomes very secretive about the untimely death of Chutia (around 53 years old).
The police have also reportedly found two ‘objectionable messages’ from an unknown number in Chutia’s cell phone,” JFA said in a statement. Chutia started his career as a sports journalist in popular Assamese daily ‘Aajir Batori’ and Chutia later shifted to ‘Amar Asom’ and ‘Dainik Janasadharan’.