Assam Police encounter spree: death toll rises to 16

NAGAON: The Assam Police on Saturday night shot dead a drug peddler in Nagaon district. The deceased has been identified as one Khairul Islam.

With this incident, 31 arrested people have been injured and 16 killed in police encounters while attempting to flee custody in Assam since the Himanta Biswa Sarma government assumed charge on May 10.

The incident has been reported from Garuati area which falls under Khatuwal Police Station. On Saturday at around 1 am, a six-member team of police led by Alok Gupta, Officer-in-Charge of the police station undertook a search operation at a house.

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Talking to reporters, Alok Gupta said, “Yesterday we got information that Bulbul, the brother of Khairul has again started selling drugs. He was recently out of jail. Yesterday some of our staff cordoned the house and I and others entered in it and found Khairul with three others. I asked Khairul not to run. But he pushed me and took out a machete. He tried to hit me in my neck. But I somehow escaped the attack but my hand got injured. Then I had to shoot him in an act of self defence.”

The drug peddler also attacked Utpal Baruah, the driver of the police vehicle, and allegedly shot him in his leg. The other three ran away.

While all three of them were admitted as the Nagaon Civil Hospital on the same night, the drug peddler was declared dead later.

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