Proceedings Start In First Court Case Against Assam Police Encounters

Since May, when the new government assumed office in Assam, at least 24 people have been killed in police firing in cases where prisoners either tried to escape or snatch weapons.

A local court in Guwahati on Monday started proceedings in a case alleging staging of a fake encounter by the Assam Police, by the family of an accused who was injured in police firing while purportedly trying to flee custody, the advocate of the complainant said. This is the first court case against alleged fake encounters or shoot-outs by Assam Police. Since May this year when the new government assumed office, at least 24 people have been killed and 39 injured in police firing in cases where prisoners either tried to escape or snatch weapons. The family of a person, who was arrested for allegedly supplying cocaine to a rave party in Guwahati. had filed the case in the court of Chief Judicial Magistrate, Kamrup (Metropolitan), while a separate complaint has also been filed in the Sessions Court as per procedure. "The statement of the accused's father was recorded by the court today," Angshuman Bora, the complainant's advocate, said.