Photo Courtesy: India Today Group
Guwahati: Assam police tracked down and arrested a Dhubri journalist late Saturday night near the tri-border area of Assam, West Bengal, and Bangladesh. Soiodur Rahman had been on the run since authorities registered an extortion case involving local Ayurveda practitioner Dr. Chotka Rahman. Police confirmed the arrest on September 12.
The trouble started when a group of journalists cornered the doctor at his own under-construction medical chamber and pharmacy. They demanded 3 lakh rupees. They threatened him with physical harm. Terrified, the doctor handed over 20,000 rupees in cash on the spot. He later sent another 65,000 rupees via a PhonePe digital transfer.
Investigators traced that electronic payment to a bank account held by Mostofa Firdoz Amed, a resident of Fakirganj. Amed is now in custody. Police previously jailed three other suspects connected to the shakedown: Sahil Shaikh, a private satellite channel correspondent, along with local news portal workers Dewan Jahangir Alom and Ashraful Alom.
Dhubri Sadar Police Station Case No. 354/2026 covers the investigation. Charges include multiple sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita, specifically 61(2), 329(4), 127(2), 308(5), 309(4), 351(2), 351(3), and 3(5). With the latest arrest, every named suspect is behind bars. Police said, "interrogation of the arrested accused is underway and further investigation is continuing." Officers are currently questioning the group to close the case file.
Updated at 13th September 2026 at 5:48pm
The case shifted Sunday after the Dhubri health department verified credentials for Dr. Chotka Rahman. Officials confirmed the man, a native of Cooch Behar, West Bengal, operated an unregistered pharmacy and practiced medicine without legal authorization. A team led by Joint Director of Health Services Jyoti Kumar Das took action following specific intelligence about his practice.
Authorities subsequently took Rahman into custody on September 13. While police continue to press the extortion charges against the arrested journalists, officials are now dissecting the circumstances behind Rahman’s unauthorized medical operation. Dr. Das stated: "We launched an operation based on specific inputs and apprehended the individual who was practising without valid credentials."
Updated at 14th September 2026 at 1:48am
In an unrelated operation on Sunday, September 13, Gujarat Police teamed up with local authorities to collar a Barpeta youth. Officers cuffed Azizul Hussain, a resident of Dangarkuchi village, for his alleged role in a cybercrime case filed at the Gandhinagar CID Cyber Crime Police Station. Police booked Hussain under the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita and Section 66(D) of the Information Technology Act for cheating by personation.
Hussain remains held at the Barpeta Police Station. Investigators are currently pushing for transit remand to haul the suspect back to Gujarat to face the charges linked to case number 11201018260052/2026.
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