NHRC finds four Assam encounters fake, grants Rs30 lakh compensation

GUWAHATI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has found four cases of encounter carried out by the Assam Police along with the units of Army and paramilitary forces in various parts of Assam as fake and granted total compensation of Rs30 lakh against these cases.

Bijay Sankar Bora

Tribune News Service

Guwahati, May 28

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has found four cases of encounter carried out by the Assam Police along with the units of Army and paramilitary forces in various parts of Assam as fake and granted total compensation of Rs30 lakh against these cases.

A communiqué issued by the NHRC stated that in three of these cases, the commission had asked the Assam Government to pay Rs25 lakh as relief to the next of kin of the victims. In the fourth case, it has asked the Defence Ministry to pay Rs5 lakh as relief.

In all these cases, neither the Assam Government nor the Defence Ministry could convince the commission in response to its notices that the encounters were genuine and that the armed forces had to open fire in self-defence when they were attacked by the alleged miscreants and suspected extremists.

In a case related to the death of Piku Ali in police firing in Assam’s Nagaon on July 23, 2008, the commission recommended payment of Rs5 lakh as relief to the victim’s family.

In the case related to the death of Mriganka Hazarika and Himanshu Gogoi in police firing at Dispur, Guwahati, on February 23, 2011, the NHRC has asked the Assam Government to pay Rs5 lakh each to the next of kin of both the victims.

In another case of the death of Jwnwm Basumatary and Okhophat Basumatary in an encounter with the police at Furoibari in Sonitpur district on June 22, 2009, the NHRC has recommended payment of Rs5 lakh each to the next of the kin of both victims. In all these three cases, the commission has asked the government through its Chief Secretary to pay the relief as recommended and submit the compliance report along with proof of payment within six to eight weeks.

In the case related to the death of Rojit Narzary alias Abram in an encounter with the Assam Police and Assam Rifles in Sonitpur on July 9, 2009, the Defence Ministry through its Secretary has been asked by the NHRC to pay Rs5 lakh to the next of kin of the victim within six weeks.