[7] Parag Kumar Das started his journalism in Prantik and The Sentinel (an English daily published from Guwahati, Assam) in the late 80s.

His open murder created huge outrage in the entire state of Assam and the human rights circles of the country.

"[11] Human Rights Watch stated, "...death of Assamese activist Parag Das in May exposed the security forces, use of irregular militias to carry out abuses...".

[12] In 2001, CBI filed its chargesheet in Kamrup District and Sessions Court against the four accused - all members of the surrendered group of ULFA.

Before the CBI filed its chargesheet, Diganta Baruah and Tapan Dutta were killed in 1998 and 1999, and in 2003 Nayan Das was hacked to death by a furious mob in Dibrugarh.

But after thirteen years, on 28 July 2009, Justice Dilip Kumar Mahanta, District and Sessions Judge, Kamrup, acquitted the prime accused citing the lack of solid evidence.

[14][15] According to human rights activists, the key witnesses were not interviewed, some were intimidated, and related materials were tempered to ensure the acquittal of the accused and cover up the state machinery's role in the case.

The human rights activists, media, friends, and family members of Das, call it a betrayal of the CBI and the Court.