Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia urges NHRC intervention over alleged police brutality in state

In a letter addressed to the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC), Assam Congress leader Debabrata Saikia has raised concerns about the repeated violation of citizens' rights by the Assam Police through the alleged use of excessive force, specifically targeting suspects under custody.

The letter highlights a surge in incidents where individuals are shot in the leg, purportedly on the grounds of attempting to flee, particularly after Assam's Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, endorsed such actions in a speech. Saikia points to a quote from The Hindustan Times dated July 6, 2021, where the Chief Minister asserted that the police should shoot at the legs of those attempting to escape stating the need for such measures against criminals.

Since then, Saikia contends, there has been a noticeable increase in encounters reported throughout Assam, prompting concerns about the methodology employed by the Assam Police. Recent incidents include the alleged extra-judicial firing on five Assamese youths on December 24 and 25, 2023, in various locations, namely Sadia, Sivasagar, Kamrup Metro, and Kamrup.

Saikia brings attention to a case involving Shri P. Gogoi from Sivasagar, who was shot in the leg on suspicion of being associated with the United Liberation Front of Assam (ULFA). However, Gogoi had previously been acquitted of such charges in 2019 and has been living as a daily laborer since.

The letter further details instances where families claim their missing relatives were coerced into confessions by the police, writing that the youths had joined ULFA, only to be subsequently apprehended and shot in the legs.

Saikia stated the potential misuse of the legal provision allowing police to use force for self-defense and urges the NHRC to take cognizance of the matter. He highlights that, from 2021 till now, more than 180 extra-judicial shootings by the Assam police have occurred, resulting in the loss of over 80 lives.