India News | 1 More Injured in Police Encounter in Assam

Lakhimpur, Aug 26 (PTI) One more accused was injured in a police encounter on Thursday when he allegedly tried to attack a constable in Lakhimpur district of Assam.

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According to a senior police officer, the person had been arrested on August 22 following a dacoity in a house in Kulabali area under Boginadi police station in Lakhimpur.

"Today we took him to the spot to recreate the crime scene. At that time, he attacked a constable with a blade. Then he tried to flee from there," the officer said.

The law enforcers asked him to stop, but he continued to run, prompting the police to fire at the legs of the accused, the officer said.

"He was immediately taken to Boginadi Model Hospital, from where he was taken to North Lakhimpur Civil Hospital," he added.

With the latest incident, at least 21 suspected militants and criminals have been shot dead and 34 others injured while either trying to snatch service firearms or escape from custody since the Himanta Biswa Sarma government assumed charge in May.

The rising number of police encounters has whipped up a political furore with the opposition alleging that the Assam Police has turned "trigger happy" and is indulging in "open killings" under the second BJP government in the state.

Unfazed by criticism, Sarma had said in Assam Assembly on July 15 that the state police has "full operational liberty" to fight against criminals within the ambit of law.

In the first face-to-face meeting with the officers-in-charge (OCs) of all police stations in the state on July 5, Sarma had said that shooting at criminals "should be the pattern" if they attempt to escape from custody or try to snatch arms from law enforcers.

Taking suo moto cognisance, the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on July 7 asked the state government to institute an inquiry into the circumstances that led to the death and injury of the accused in police encounters.

Earlier, a New Delhi-based lawyer from Assam, Arif Jwadder, had filed a complaint with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) against the Assam Police for the series of encounters.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)