Guwahati: The Gauhati High Court (GHC) gave one week’s time to the Assam Government to file a detailed affidavit against the affidavit submitted to the Court last Tuesday on the alleged fake encounters by Assam Police
Today was the hearing date for a PIL on a fake encounter. The petitioner’s counsel said that the affidavit served on 8 February is not a detailed document as required by the court’s judgement dated 11 January.
The lawyer requested one week to file a reply to the affidavit, which was allowed. The next hearing date is February 21.
The State was represented by Advocate General Devajit Lon Saikia.
Arif Jwadder, a lawyer and activist who filed the PIL No. 86/2021, stated that 80 such instances have occurred in the state since May 2021, resulting in 28 deaths and 48 injuries.
Jwadder has asked the High Court to order the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a Special Investigation Team (SIT), or a police team from another state to register an FIR in the alleged fake encounter cases, as well as an independent investigation by the CBI, a Special Investigation Team (SIT), or a police team from another state, all under the supervision of the Court.
He also demanded a legal investigation into the alleged encounters by a sitting Judge of the Gauhati High Court, as well as monetary compensation for the victims’ families after due verification.
In addition to the State Government, the petition cited Assam Police, the Department of Law and Justice, the National Human Rights Commission, and the Assam Human Rights Commission as respondents.
It may be mentioned that last year in July filed a complaint against such incidents with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
However, NHRC transferred the case to the Assam Human Rights Commission in November.