GUWAHATI: Three victims of an alleged fake encounter in December 2023 have lodged FIRs at the Sadia Police Station against four police officials.
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The complainants -- Dipjyoti Neog, Manuj Buragohain, and Biswanath Borgohain -- have accused former Sadiya district Superintendent of Police (SP) Mrinal Deka, Sub-Inspector Debasis Dekari, Inspector Sim-Singh Timung, and former Tinsukia Assistant Superintendent of Police (ASP) Bibhash Das of having shot at them from point-blank range injuring them in the legs.
The police in their complaint had said that the three had contacts with the Ulfa (I) and were shot at when they tried to flee from their custody which the complainants vehemently deny.
According to the victims, initially the Assam Rifles had apprehended them on suspicion of being United Liberation Front of Assam – Independent (ULFA-I) cadres and taken to their camp. The police team led by SP Deka later took them over.
The complaint states that the police team stopped at Hahkhati forest reserve around 3 AM and the three were brough out of the vehicles and forced to lie down facing the ground. Deka then allegedly shot them in the legs.
The victims’ affidavits detailing their experience on December 23-24, 2023 were recently filed in the Supreme Court in connection with a special leave petition (SLP) on fake encounters and custodial deaths in Assam.
The Supreme Court has said it intends to constitute a commission to probe the allegations of fake encounters in Assam.
According to advocate Arif Md Jwadder, who filed the SLP, there have been over 80 fake encounters in Assam since 2021.