Guwahati, 24th January: Assam Police on January 24 transferred the criminal case filed against Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders to the Crime Investigation Department (CID) for alleged violations of guidelines, resulting in accusations of violence, provocation, and damage to public property.
Director General of Police GP Singh, in a statement on platform X, informed that the case, pertaining to the violation of various laws during the Congress road event in Guwahati on January 23, had been handed over to CID Assam for a comprehensive investigation. A Special Investigation Team (SIT) is expected to be constituted by the ADGP of CID Assam for an in-depth examination.
The FIR, registered under sections including 120(B), 143, 147, 188, 283, 353, 332, 333, 427 IPC, and Section 3 of the PDPP Act, comprises non-bailable charges such as assaulting public servants, causing hurt to deter public servants from duty, and causing grievous hurt to deter public servants from duty.
Earlier, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma voiced his concerns on a microblogging site, accusing Congress leaders of violence, provocation, and assault on police personnel during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra. The clash ensued when Assam Police, following Sarma’s directive, halted the yatra’s entry into Guwahati, prompting protests from Congress workers.
Sarma, critical of Rahul Gandhi for allegedly provoking the crowd and causing a massive traffic jam, directed Assam DGP GP Singh to register a criminal case against Gandhi, citing social media footage as evidence. The Chief Minister emphasized that such tactics are alien to Assamese culture and deemed them reminiscent of “naxalite tactics.”
Tensions escalated in Guwahati on January 23 as clashes unfolded between Rahul Gandhi’s supporters and the police during the yatra’s re-entry into Assam. The denial of permission for the yatra to use main routes inside Guwahati resulted in heightened security measures at Khanapara, the city’s entry point.
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