Assam Govt orders Inquiry into ULB Cadres’ killing
Guwahati: With the recent killing of the alleged United Liberation of Bodoland (ULB) cadres in Kokrajhar district’s Ultapani during a police operation being one of the major discussions and issues in the Bodoland Territorial Region, the Assam Government has now ordered an inquiry into the entire issue.
Several protests were seen in the BTR region after two suspected militants of the ULB were killed on September 18. The duo identified as Jwngsar Mushahary and Janak Kumar Brahma as per the police were cadres of the ULB and were killed during an operation when they had allegedly attempted to flee police custody during a search operation.
Following the killings, there were several protests in the BTR region and also a 12-hour bandh or strike. Protestors belonging to different groups demanded a judicial inquiry into the entire issue claiming that the encounter was “fake”.
With these going on in the region, the Assam Government announced an inquiry. Jayant Narlikar, Divisional Commissioner has been tasked with the inquiry and he will have to submit the report within 15 days.
It may be mentioned that the police had claimed that the deceased were militants and they had recovered two pistols, eight rounds of live ammunition, 14 rounds of empty cartridges, eight hand grenades, and other “warlike stores” from the deceased persons. The police claimed that the encounter took place in a makeshift camp inside the Ultapani Reserve Forest. Some reports said that the duo had led the police to the makeshift camp and on reaching the camp, the duo tried to flee while some members who were already in the camps start to fire at the police. The deceased persons were said to have been killed in the same encounter while some others lodged in the camp managed to escape from the spot.
It may be mentioned that since Himanta Biswa Sarma took charge as the new Chief Minister, the state has witnessed at least 26 persons being killed in police encounters or police actions. Apart from these, 42 persons were reported to have been injured in the police actions. The police stated that these incidents took place as most of them tried to escape from the police. The police have also stated that some of these accused had also tried to snatch police weapons and the police had no option but to resort to “controlled firing” in retaliation to the actions of the accused persons.