Guwahati, Jul 24: A massive search was underway in the Brahmaputra river on Wednesday for noted Assamese music composer Ramen Barua who went missing, police said.
Barua, 84, left his home in Guwahati's Latasil area on Monday morning after an altercation with a family member, and he was last seen on the road leading to the Brahmaputra near the new Gauhati High Court building, Police Commissioner Diganta Barah said.
Several people have been questioned in the case, including his daughter Barnika Barua and brother Dwipen Baruah who is a renowned singer, he said.
"On the basis of the questioning, we have come to the conclusion that he had left home as he was emotionally upset following an altercation with a family member," Barah said, refusing to identify the person.
"According to CCTV footage, he was last seen at 10.08 am on Monday on the road leading to the Brahmaputra near the new Gauhati HC building. His mobile phone was also tracked till 10.09 am, and the K-9 also led the investigators to the river bank," he said.
Barah said there is evidence that Barua went to the river bank but the police have no proof that he returned from there.
"We are not concluding that any unfortunate incident may have happened, but we are taking all angles into consideration. The SDRF is conducting a thorough search in the downstream of the river from Guwahati to Dhubri," he said.
A missing persons' complaint was filed by his family after Barua did not return till late in the evening on Monday.
A radio artiste of fame, he has composed music for several Assamese films, including Dr Bezbarua, Baruar Songsar, Mukuta, Lalita, Kokadeuta and Nati Aru Hati, among others.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had directed the city police to mobilise all resources and take swift action to locate him.
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Bengaluru: Leader of the Opposition R. Ashoka launched a scathing attack on MLC Dr. Yathindra, demanding that he retract his controversial statement comparing Chief Minister Siddaramaiah to the late Maharaja Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar. Ashoka urged Yathindra to apologize to the people of Karnataka if he had even a shred of conscience and any respect for the Mysuru royal lineage.
In a strongly worded social media post on Sunday, Ashoka stated, “Comparing Siddaramaiah to Nalwadi Krishnaraja Wadiyar is nothing short of absurd. Where is Nalwadi, who was bestowed the title of ‘Rajarshi’ by Mahatma Gandhi himself, and where is Siddaramaiah, who has stooped to being a puppet in the hands of fake Gandhis for the sake of power?”
He continued his critique by contrasting the enduring legacy of Nalwadi, remembered fondly by Kannadigas for his people-centric development, with what he termed as Siddaramaiah’s failure to manage Karnataka’s economy, burdening every household with debt.
Ashoka highlighted several stark differences, while Nalwadi built Mysore University over a century ago, Siddaramaiah is shutting down nine universities due to lack of funds. Nalwadi famously sold his family’s gold to build the KRS dam, whereas Siddaramaiah is accused of grabbing 14 sites meant for the public. Nalwadi established Bhadravati Iron & Steel Plant, Sandalwood Soap Factory, and Mysore Paper Mills. In contrast, Ashoka claimed Siddaramaiah's governance drove away industries, investors, and entrepreneurs. Nalwadi pioneered reservations for the backward classes long before it became mainstream. Siddaramaiah, Ashoka alleged, is reducing social justice to a gimmick by sticking labels on doors in the name of surveys.
While acknowledging Yathindra’s emotional attachment to his father, Ashoka emphasized that comparing Siddaramaiah to a visionary like Nalwadi was “laughable, baseless, and a gross insult” to the late king.
In his concluding remarks, Ashoka slammed the government for ignoring farmers’ needs despite an early monsoon. He accused the administration of being caught up in internal power struggles and negligence, forcing farmers into despair. “This government will not be spared from the curse of the farmers,” he warned.