Two people were killed in police firing during a drive to clear encroachments in Assam
An encroachment eviction drive faced resistance from locals when a mob allegedly turned violent and attacked police and government officials in Assam's Kamrup (Metro) district today, sources said. Two people were killed in retaliatory police firing, while 11 were injured in police action. At least 22 government officials and policemen were injured in the mob attack, Assam Director General of Police GP Singh said in a statement. The Guwahati Police have been directed to identify all the miscreants involved in the attack on government officials and take action, he said.
The two killed in the firing have been identified as Haider Ali and Juwahid Ali. Both died during treatment at the Sonapur district Hospital, sources said.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said the eviction drive proceeded peacefully initially, but the situation escalated when the Congress began opposing it.
The police and administration officials were clearing encroachments at Kachutoli village near Sonapur in Kamrup (Metro) district when they came under attack from a large mob, sources said. Revenue Circle Officer Nitul Khatoniar and four police officers, including a woman constable, were injured. The eviction drive had tried to clear alleged illegal settlers from a 100-bigha plot in the area, where over 150 people live.
The eviction drive had been going on peacefully for the last three days until Thursday, sources said.
On the fourth day today, the police and the officials allegedly came under heavy stone-throwing by the encroachers, sources said, adding many police vehicles were damaged and vandalised. They were also attacked with sticks and sharp objects, sources said.
The police and paramilitary forces opened fire to control the situation, they said. Sources said the first three days of the eviction drive were conducted without a significant security presence.
The Assam Police in a statement said 248 bigha (155 acre) of government land and 237 illegal structures constructed by people who were not authorised to build them in the tribal belt have been cleared. The anti-encroachment drive began on September 9.
In September 2021, two people were killed and 15 policemen were injured in clashes between alleged encroachers and the police during an eviction drive in Assam's Gorukhuti.