Compensate ‘shooting incident’ victims, NHRC tells Assam

Guwahati, March 12:

The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) Wednesday asked the Assam government to pay Rs.5 lakh each to the next of kin of two youth killed by a joint team of the army and the Assam Police in 2009.

A division bench of the NHRC, comprising members Justice D. Murugesan and Satyabrata Pal, passed the orders Wednesday. It asked the Assam government to submit proof of payment to the commission by April 17 this year.

The two youth — Munindra Kalita (26) and Pingal Deka (27) — were killed by the joint team at Nasatra in Barpeta district of the state July 10, 2009.

Both victims were termed as members of the United Liberation Front of Asom (Ulfa), a banned militant outfit.

“The commission had taken suo motu cognizance of the incident and registered a case No. 209/3/1/2011-ED, on the basis of the information given on the website of Assam Police,” said a statement issued by the NHRC Wednesday.

The commission also held the Assam government has no explanation to offer to its various observations raising doubts about the genuineness of the incident, the statement said.

“The commission did not find the inquiry conducted by the magistrate helpful and observed he had not taken trouble to examine the witness evidence to check the police claim the entire village was cordoned off before the gun battle. There was no forensic laboratory test to establish the scientific evidence to sustain the shooting was genuine and took place, as alleged by the police,” the statement said.

The statement added the post mortem report conclusively demolished the case made out by the police and contrary to their claims of firing from a distance, it was found that both men were shot at contact range.

(IANS)