In a curious development in the Assam Police’s crackdown on drugs, Kirti Kamal Bora, a former member of the All Assam Students union (AASU) was shot at during a drug bust in Nagaon on Saturday. But Bora says he was out buying medicines for his mother when he saw someone being beaten up. When Bora intervened, he got shot!
Now, the state government has not only formed a committee to look into the circumstances of the firing, but also benched the policemen involved in the firing. But there are growing concerns surrounding Assam’s virtual transformation into a police state.
What happened on January 22?
On the evening of Saturday, January 22, 2022, personnel of the Assam Police, acting on a tip off, arrived at Nagaon’s Kachalukha area in plainclothes. According to Nagaon Superintendent of Police Anand Mishra, “Two of our men were there to inspect… then people present there got suspicious and started questioning our men, who told them they were policemen. After that, chaos ensued and a brawl began.”
This was around the time Bora claims he was out purchasing medicines for his mother and saw a man being thrashed by a few others. “I was only going to intervene, when I was abused and pulled off the bike and suddenly shot at,” he told the Indian Express. But police claim Bora engage in violence forcing a policeman to shoot at him in self-defence. “As per his version, he was compelled to fire to save himself, otherwise he would have been killed,” said SP Mishra, adding that they also recovered drugs from Bora’s person, saying, “We are now trying to ascertain whether he was a consumer or a peddler.”
Bora not only sustained a gun-shot wound, but also other injuries to his left thigh, left arm and forehead. He is recuperating at the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
People’s reactions and the state government’s response
The AASU is an influential organisation in Assam, virtually inextricable from the historic Assam Movement that led to the signing of the Assam Accord and the resolution to update the National Register of Citizens (NRC). Additionally, the AASU has also opposed the implementation of the Citizenship Amendment Act (CAA) in Assam.
Though Bora is no longer a member of the AASU, he is still a respected youth leader. It is therefore inevitable that there will be consequences if he is accused of being either a drug user or peddler, and worse shot at by the police on those suspicions.
AASU and the Assam Jatiyabadi Yuba Chhatra Parishad held a protest rally to condemn the firing. AASU chief advisor Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya said, “The incident has created an atmosphere of police terror in the state. Punish the guilty. Stop such acts as soon as possible.” He has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident.
Voices of dissent were raised by leaders of Opposition parties as well.
“Where’s the rule of law? This complete lawlessness is alarming,” said Debabrata Saikia, leader of the Opposition in the Assam Assembly.
Raijor Dal’s Akhil Gogoi, who is the Member of the Legislative Assemb;y (MLA) from Sivasagar said, “We condemn the police attack on Kirti Kamal Bora. The attack is a grotesque validation that Assam is under “Police Raj” and the situation is worse than “Secret Killings” of late 90’s. We demand the suspension of the Nagaon SP n arrest of the police officials involved in the incident.”
Assam Pradesh Congress Committee president Bhupen Kumar Borah also condemned the attack saying, “Police attack on him is a reflection of licence to shoot given to the police by the CM. We have been witnessing such extra-judicial shootings in Assam in past months. Today it was Bora but tomorrow it could be anyone of us.”
Pradyut Bordoloi, who is the Member of Parliament (MP) from the Nagaon Lok Sabha constituency said, “(The) tendency to shoot from the hip has become a new norm and then covering up the excesses has turned Assam into a police state. (We) demand (an) enquiry and action against police personnel involved in (the) unprovoked firing on KirtiKamalBora in Nagaon. (sic)”
Now, the Assam Police announced that the policemen involved in the firing had been benched, saying, “Police personnel involved in the shooting incident at Kachalukhua,Nagaon have been sent to Police Reserve with immediate effect.”
Police personnel involved in the shooting incident at Kachalukhua,Nagaon have been sent to Police Reserve with immediate effect.
We have requested the Govt to institute a Commissioner level enquiry into the incident. If any lapse is found, guilty personnel will be taken to task.
— Assam Police (@assampolice) January 23, 2022
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma too swung into action and the government announced the formation of a one-man committee comprising Additional Chief Secretary Shri Paban Borthakur to “facilitate an in-depth investigation into the circumstances leading to the police firing that took place on January 22 in Nagaon.”
Govt of Assam appoints a One-man Committee of Additional Chief Secretary Shri Paban Borthakur to facilitate an in-depth investigation into the circumstances leading to the police firing that took place on January 22 in Nagaon. pic.twitter.com/tws9ZmWaVz
— Chief Minister Assam (@CMOfficeAssam) January 23, 2022
Assam Police’s “War on Drugs” and the growing culture of “encounters”
Over the past few weeks, the Assam Police have gone all out in disrupting the supply chain on the drug trade in the state. Here are a few examples of different drug busts in the state:
A team of Barpeta PS conducted a covert operation today and was able to apprehend 2 persons.
On search, the following were recovered from their possession:
1. 25 nos suspected Heroin (33.40 gm with containers).
2.2 M/cycles
3.2 Mobile@DGPAssamPolice @gpsinghips @assampolice pic.twitter.com/ynCn3IievE— Barpeta Police (@Barpeta_Police) January 23, 2022
In a span of 3 days, #TeamGoalpara again raided & destroyed #110Bighas of huge illegal #OpiumCultivation at *Balikachi-Sitalmari Char* of Chunari PS.We are determined to hit on #FinancesOfNarcoTrade#WarOnDrugs@CMOfficeAssam @DGPAssamPolice @gpsinghips @assampolice pic.twitter.com/XAOd0nPBVq
— Goalpara Police (@Goalpara_Police) January 23, 2022
#Warondrugs is on. Four peddlers arrested with NDPS material suspected to be heroine in Bihubor area. One dumper, one Maruti Alto car, cash Rs. 16300 and four mobile phones have been seized. Legal action initiated.@assampolice @DGPAssamPolice @gpsinghips @HardiSpeaks pic.twitter.com/IdZDrdnEIL
— Sivasagar Police (@SivasagarPol) January 23, 2022
In a raid led by DSP HQ , 5.02 gms suspected Brown Sugar recovered from possesion of 1) Pankaj Chakraborty &
2)Md Muhibur Rahman under Pulibor PS
Legal action being taken in this regard.#WarOnDrugs @assampolice @DGPAssamPolice @gpsinghips @IPSAnkurJain pic.twitter.com/ZsGtgyJKkL— Jorhat Police (@Jorhat_Police) January 22, 2022
Additionally, there have been concerns about the growing instances of “encounters” or extra-judicial killings in the state. The incident in Nagaon presents what is being viewed by many as a combination of the two and therefore a possible attack on anyone the regime views as a dissenter.
Related:
Alienation and apathy: Assam government’s 2021 agenda?
Resurgence of anti-CAA wave in Assam
Assam police firing: State says acted in self defence as crowd attacked with lathis, bricks
Install CCTVs in police stations: CJP to Assam Police
Assam: Prime suspect in AASU leader’s lynching dies mysteriously in custody