The State police killed a total of 51 people and injured 139 others since May 2021, the Assam government has said in its affidavit to the Gauhati High Court.
The affidavit was in connection with a PIL (public interest litigation) petition on fake encounters that came up for hearing on June 21. The case was listed for another hearing on July 29 as the government had filed the affidavit too late for the judges to read.
Assam’s advocate general Devajit Saikia appeared for the State while Delhi-based lawyer and activist Arif Jwadder appeared via videoconferencing.
Mr. Jwadder had sought an order for the registration of a first information report in the cases of alleged fake encounters and an independent probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation, a Special Investigation Team or a police team from another State under the supervision of the High Court.
He had also demanded a judicial inquiry by a sitting judge of the High Court into the alleged encounters besides monetary compensation to the families of the victims after due verification.
Soon after taking charge as the Chief Minister, Himanta Biswa Sarma had announced a crackdown on alleged drug dealers, smugglers, murderers, cattle lifters and those accused of rape.
Some were killed in custody, often while “trying to escape after snatching a policeman’s firearm” while several others were shot in the leg. A few died after reportedly being hit by police vehicles following them.
