Guwahati, Aug. 1 -- Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has ignited a controversy by defending the police's delay in arresting popular actress Nandini Kashyap in a fatal hit-and-run case.

Chief Minister Sarma called the wait a deliberate "strategy," an explanation that comes amidst growing public anger over the handling of the incident which led to the death of a 21-year-old polytechnic student, Samiul Haque.

Addressing the press on Thursday, the Chief Minister said, "It was a strategic decision by the police. Had we arrested her that night, she would've had to be released. Now, we are pursuing a case of culpable homicide amounting to murder. There's a difference between public perception and the course of police action."

This sta...