Fake encounters? NHRC seeks report from Assam police

Tinsukia: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Tuesday sought an Action Taken Report (ATR) from the director general of police within four weeks on a complaint of fake encounters by Assam police.

The development came months after advocate Arif Jwadder, a New-Delhi based lawyer hailing from Assam, lodged a complaint with NHRC accusing the Assam police of being on an ‘encounter spree’ and gross human rights violations. 

Taking up the complaint, the NHRC directed it’s registry to send a copy of the complaint to the DGP, seeking ATR within four weeks.

The commission has also asked the DGP if he has received any notice, order, etc. in the instant matter from the state human rights commission. “If yes, a copy of the order be also sent to the commission within four weeks,” the NHRC said in the letter sent to the DGP.

The state commission has also been give four months to give it’s response.

The Assam Human Rights Commission had taken suo-moto cognizance of media reports stating several accused were killed in police shoot-outs, asking principal secretary of Home and Political department to order an inquiry to find out the facts and circumstances that led to encounter, while accused tried to flee and were injured or killed.

On July 10, the advocate, through his complaint, claimed that injured or dead, the accused were not militants and hence not trained to use pistols and it was unlikely that they could snatch pistols from trained policemen, blaming it to be staged encounter.

A family member of one of the accused, who was injured in police encounter while he allegedly tried to flee, had also moved a lower court stating that it was fake encounter.

According to sources, at least two dozen accused have been killed while allegedly trying to flee police custody and over three dozens have been injured ever since the formation of the new government in May this year. 

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