In a tragic incident, a woman sub-inspector of Assam Police, Junmoni Rabha, widely known as ‘Lady Singham’ or ‘Dabang cop’ for her resemblance to characters in Hindi police movies, lost her life in a car accident. The collision between her private car and a container truck took place in Nagaon district on Tuesday morning. The 30-year-old sub-inspector was alone in her vehicle and not in uniform at the time of the accident.
The crash occurred at Sarubhugia village under the jurisdiction of Jakhalabandha police station in the Kaliabor Sub-Division. Following the accident, the Criminal Investigation Department (CID) has been assigned to investigate, an ongoing extortion case against Junmoni Rabha that was registered just hours before the accident. Her family suspects foul play and is demanding an impartial inquiry into the incident.
Police received notification of the accident around 2:30 am, and a patrol team promptly arrived at the scene. Junmoni Rabha was then transported to a nearby hospital, where she was pronounced dead by doctors. The container truck involved in the collision, bearing a registration number from Uttar Pradesh, was seized by the police. However, the driver fled the scene after the accident.
Nagaon Superintendent of Police, Leena Doley, arrived at the accident site in the morning to assess the situation. The police remain uncertain about why the sub-inspector was traveling alone in civilian clothes without any security measures in her private car towards Upper Assam. Her family members also claim to be unaware of her movements. They suspect foul play and are calling for an impartial investigation to uncover the truth behind her tragic demise.
In a press statement, Junmoni Rabha’s mother, Sumitra Rabha, alleged that her daughter’s death was a pre-planned murder orchestrated by an unidentified group. Alongside Junmoni’s aunt, Subarna Bodo, she appealed to Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma for a thorough inquiry into the matter and justice for the family by punishing those responsible for the “deliberately planned” accident.
Subarna Bodo further disclosed that a team of senior police officials had conducted a raid at Junmoni’s official residence in Nagaon the previous night, seizing approximately ₹1 lakh. She clarified that the seized money belonged to Junmoni’s mother, who had earned it through her small home-based businesses of poultry and pig farming. She urged the police to return the money so that Junmoni’s rituals could be conducted properly.
In a separate development, Assam’s Director General of Police, Gyanendra Pratap Singh, stated that an FIR had been registered against the deceased sub-inspector at North Lakhimpur Police Station the day before, under various sections of the Indian Penal Code (IPC) including criminal conspiracy, dacoity, robbery, attempted murder, wrongful confinement, and extortion. The FIR was filed based on a complaint by a woman.
Responding to requests for a fair investigation into both the FIR and Junmoni Rabha’s death, it was announced that the case would be transferred to CID Assam. Junmoni Rabha, who was in charge of the Morikolong Police Outpost, had gained a reputation for being tough on criminals. However, she had also faced allegations of financial irregularities in the past.
Last year, she was arrested on charges of corruption, allegedly involved with her former partner. This led to her suspension from the service, although it was later lifted, allowing her to resume her duties. In another controversy in January 2022, a leaked telephonic conversation between Junmoni Rabha and BJP MLA Amiya Kumar Bhuyan sparked a controversy. The audio revealed a heated
