Guwahati: The Congress on Tuesday criticised the BJP-led government in Assam, accusing it of operating a “police raj” following revelations that 72 accused individuals have been killed and 220 injured in police actions since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office in May 2021.
The data, tabled in the state assembly by Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio, documented 256 instances of police action during this period.
Magisterial inquiries were conducted in 175 of these cases, with the remaining 81 lacking such probes.
The government maintained that police cases were registered for each incident in accordance with relevant laws and the guidelines of the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
However, Congress Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognizance of the data while deliberating on an ongoing case regarding alleged fake encounters in Assam.
Saikia emphasised that the apex court should include the recent findings in its review before delivering a verdict.
According to documents tabled in the assembly, 38 people died in police custody during remand, while another 34 were killed before being placed in remand.
The data also highlighted 181 individuals who sustained bullet injuries while in remand and 40 more who were injured prior to remand.
Saikia alleged that the statistics pointed to a blatant disregard for the rule of law and accused the ruling party of using police forces for political purposes.
A year-wise breakdown revealed that 2021 saw the highest number of fatalities, with 31 people killed and 67 injured in 83 cases of police action.
Magisterial inquiries were ordered in 52 of these cases. In 2022, 18 accused were killed, and 79 injured in 95 incidents, with 66 of these cases subjected to inquiries.
The trend continued in 2023 and 2024, with additional deaths and injuries recorded.
The opposition had earlier accused the Assam Police of being “trigger happy,” claiming the force was engaging in “open killings” under Sarma’s administration.
Another set of documents showed that 136 people had been killed across Assam in police actions since 2016, when the BJP first came to power in the state.
ALSO READ: Meghalaya CM launches One-Time Settlement scheme for power consumers
The Supreme Court was recently informed by the Assam government that it had adhered to the 2014 guidelines for investigating police encounters.
However, a bench of Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh reserved its verdict on a plea seeking an independent investigation into 171 alleged fake encounters in Assam between May 2021 and August 2022, in which 56 people were killed and 145 injured.
Petitioner Arif Md Yeasin Jwadder challenged a Gauhati High Court order dismissing his PIL regarding these encounters.
Last October, the Supreme Court termed the situation “very serious” and requested detailed information on the probes conducted in such cases.
