The Assam Government might soon institute a judicial probe into the incident of alleged ‘fake encounter’ in lower Assam’s Chirang district on the wee hours of Wednesday, where two school students were killed and another one was injured.
Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said this on Saturday while interacting with the media. The Chief Minister’s assurance came on Saturday after widespread protest rocked Chirang district over the incident on Friday. It may be mentioned here that the Assam Government had already ordered a probe to be carried out by the State Additional Chief Secretary into the incident.
However, the people are not satisfied over the inquiry and demanding a judicial probe or an inquiry by the CBI. “It is a matter of concern if the allegations are true. If needed, we are also going to institute a judicial probe into the incident,” Gogoi said.
Two youth were killed and another was injured during a joint operation by the Assam Police and Army in Raijungbari under Runikhata police station in Chirang district on the wee hours of Wednesday. While the police claimed the slain youth as cadres of the anti-talk faction of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB), the locals and family members, however, termed it as a ‘fake encounter’ staged by the forces. The police had also claimed that they have recovered an AK series rifle, a grenade and 15 rounds of live ammunition from the slain youths.
Meanwhile, the Chief Minister also said that the Government will institute an annual state bravery award after Gunjan Sharma, the eighth standard girl who had recently offered herself as hostage to a gunman to save ten other children of her school in Assam’s Sivsagar district.
Gogoi also condemned the BJP and Asom Gana Parishad (AGP), who had launched a series of attack on the ruling Congress over the incident at Chirang, and said that the law and order situation in Assam is better now than it was during the tenure of AGP Government in the State or when the BJP-led NDA Government was in power at the Centre.