Guwahati: The opposition Congress has accused the BJP-led Assam government of running a “police raj” following the revelation that 72 accused individuals have been killed and 220 injured in police actions since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office in May 2021.
The party has urged the Supreme Court to take suo motu cognisance of the data while considering its verdict in an ongoing case related to alleged fake encounters in the state.
The statistics were disclosed in the Assam Assembly by Sarma, who also holds the home portfolio. According to the official records, between May 10, 2021, and February 23, 2025, a total of 256 police actions were reported, with magisterial inquiries conducted in 175 cases, while 81 incidents remained without independent probes. The government, however, defended the actions, asserting that all cases were registered in compliance with the law and the guidelines set by the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
Reacting to the disclosure, Leader of Opposition Debabrata Saikia criticized the BJP government, stating that the latest figures reaffirm the opposition’s claim of an unchecked “police raj” in Assam. He urged the Supreme Court to reopen the case of 171 alleged fake encounters in Assam and factor in the newly surfaced data before delivering its verdict. According to Saikia, the rising number of police-involved killings and injuries highlights a systematic erosion of the rule of law under the current administration.
The report presented in the Assembly detailed that among the 72 people killed in police action, 38 died while in police remand, while 34 others were killed before being officially placed in remand. Additionally, 181 individuals sustained bullet injuries while in remand, and 40 were wounded before their remand period began. The data, however, did not specify how many of these cases resulted from unilateral police action versus exchange of fire between accused persons and security forces.
A breakdown of the numbers revealed that the highest number of such fatalities occurred in 2021, the year Sarma took office as Chief Minister. That year, 31 individuals lost their lives in 83 reported police actions, with 67 others injured. Magisterial inquiries were conducted in 52 cases, but 31 incidents were not subjected to independent review. In 2022, police actions led to the deaths of 18 individuals and injuries to 79 others, with 66 of the 95 incidents receiving magisterial scrutiny. The following year, in 2023, 13 accused persons were killed, while 35 suffered injuries in 44 police actions. By 2024, 10 more individuals had lost their lives, with 35 others injured. In the first two months of 2025, no deaths were reported, but five individuals sustained injuries while in police remand.
The revelations have reignited political tensions, with the Congress accusing the ruling BJP of using law enforcement for political leverage. Saikia alleged that the government has repeatedly dodged direct questions about encounter killings in the Assembly and has failed to ensure transparency in police operations. The opposition maintains that these deaths are not mere encounters but deliberate killings carried out under state patronage.
The issue has also gained traction in the judiciary, as the Supreme Court was recently informed by the Assam government that its handling of police encounters aligns with the 2014 guidelines for investigating such cases. The state argued that unnecessary scrutiny of security forces could lead to demoralization. However, the court, which had previously termed the matter “very serious,” had sought additional details on the investigations carried out in these cases. Following the latest submission, a bench comprising Justices Surya Kant and N Kotiswar Singh reserved its verdict on a plea demanding an independent probe into 171 alleged fake encounters in Assam between May 2021 and August 2022. The petition, filed by activist Arif Md Yeasin Jwadder, challenges a Gauhati High Court ruling from January 2023 that had dismissed concerns over the encounters.
The Assam government’s handling of police actions remains a contentious issue, with the opposition vowing to push for greater accountability. Meanwhile, legal proceedings surrounding the alleged fake encounters continue to unfold, with the Supreme Court’s final decision expected to have significant implications for the state’s law enforcement policies.
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