The Assam Youth Congress has alleged that the state police is evading response on RTI queries related to fake encounters over the last year. Only 18 districts out of 35 have replied with data on police encounters, said the Congress body.
"Acting on media reports about fake encounters we have filed RTIs asking the Assam police information on number of encounters, number of people killed or injured. Out of 35 police districts in the state, only 18 of them sent us RTI replies. Till now only in Nagaon the state government has ordered a CID probe that found that the encounter was fake, so we demand that all the alleged fake or doubtful encounters needs to be investigated," Assam Youth Congress Chief Angkita Dutta told NDTV.
The Youth Congress has further alleged that some of the districts Superintendents of Police have evaded response citing the fact that the encounter is under investigation while many in their response have cited that the encounter or police action was part of lawful duty and no departmental inquiry was initiated.
"How is the police going to justify that they were doing lawful duty?" Ms Dutta further asked.
The State police killed a total of 51 people and injured 139 others since May 2021, the Assam government has said in its affidavit to the Gauhati High Court in June this year.
The affidavit was in connection with a PIL (public interest litigation) petition on fake encounters.
"We will soon hit the street with agitations. We cannot allow our state to become a Police state and become a banana republic," Ms Dutta further said.
A senior police official from Assam Police headquarters, who did not want to be named, said that RTI replies are "procedural" and it may not be that all districts will be able to file replies in same time frame.
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