Guwahati: The Opposition leader of Assam Legislative Assembly Debabrata Saikia wrote a letter to Union Home Minister Rajnath Singh asking for a judicial probe into the incident of alleged ‘fake encounter’ in lower Assam’s Chirang district.
He said the two NDFB(S) militants, identified as Lucas Narzary and David Islary, were killed in a legitimate encounter on March 30 this year involving the Army, Assam police, CRPF and Sasashtra Seema Bal.
Saikia said in the letter that. “The accusation of the two youths being killed in a staged or fake encounter has been levelled by none other than the Inspector General of the CRPF, North East Sector, Rajnish Rai.”
He said that the continuance of the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act and the three-tier Unified Command meant “that the Union home ministry has a big say on security matters in Assam”.
Saikia also recalled how “fake encounters or secret killings” had emerged as an “emotive” issue in Assam at one point of time (without mentioning that it took place during the AGP’s second stint at Dispur).
He said. “Therefore, without dwelling too much on the past, I would most sincerely urge you (Singh) to initiate a judicial inquiry into the incident of fake encounter and also take stern steps to prevent recurrence of such undemocratic and inhumane steps.”
Inspector General of Police Ranjish Rai, who is currently serving with the CRPF in North East, has alleged that the two men were abducted from their homes and killed in cold blood under the pretext of an encounter.
Rai, in a report t the Ministry of Home Affairs, claimed that he had a witness to the incident who could testify that the Insas Rifle, 7.65 revolver and the Chinese grenade claimed to have found on the spot were planted on the Naxals bodies.
The Union Home Ministry has acknowledged receiving the report and said it is being studied and action on its content will be taken soon.