Guwahati: A day after the Supreme Court sought responses from the Centre and Assam government on a PIL accusing the armed forces and state police of fake encounters in the state, family members of the two suspected NDFB (S) members, Lucas Narzary and David Islary, have welcomed the move and said the decision has restored their faith in the judiciary.
Alleging that ‘fake encounters’ are a common occurrence in the district, Jeorge Islary, a villager in Auxiguri said security personnel who indulge in such acts do it for the sake of ‘promotion’.
“Lucas and David were murdered in cold blood, and victimized by the security forces. We welcome Supreme Court’s notice. In our area, it is very common for security forces to take away the men on suspicion. And they never return. And we are then called to the police station to claim the body,” said Islary.
The PIL is based on a report filed by CRPF IG Rajnish Rai in April 2017 alleging "cold-blooded fake encounter killing of two suspected members of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit) faction" on March 30 last year in Assam's Simalguri village.
Some of the senior officials of the central forces were named in the petition filed by former bureaucrat EAS Sarma. Senior advocate Colin Gonsalves appeared for Sarma and cited newspaper reports claiming that Rai had met some of the witnesses to the alleged fake encounter.
A constitutional bench of the Supreme Court comprising Chief Justice Dipak Misra and Justices AM Khanwilkar and DY Chandrachud issued notices to the CRPF, the National Human Rights Commission and others.
The bench on Monday also sought responses from General Officer Commanding of 4 Corps and chairperson of Operational Group, Unified Command — Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) — CRPF commandant posted in Chirang district of Assam when the incident took place. Lucas aka N Langfa (27) and David alias Dayud (22) were killed in a joint operation by Army, Assam Police, CRPF and SSB at Simalguri village in Chirang under Amguri police station on March 30, 2017.
Namita Narzary, the widow of Lucas Narzary, was inconsolable when she heard of the Supreme Court notice. All she wishes for is justice for her slain husband. Having to look after three children, Namita who runs a small tea stall, said she is suffering from ill health and still working hard to ensure that her children don’t go to bed hungry.
“Whoever killed my husband – Army, CRPF or police should be brought to book. How do I raise my three kids now? I have nothing left with me. He could have been kept in jail. But they gunned him down at night,” said Namita.
Meanwhile, former Rajya Sabha MP UG Brahma hailed the Supreme Court notice, and blamed the government for failing to take action against those involved in the ‘cold blooded murders’.
“There was a lot of hue and cry over the killings. Though the government was indifferent to the allegations, it was CRPF IG Rajnish Rai who alleged that it was a fake encounter and that weapons were planted – the two boys were unarmed. He was himself part of the operation, and it is a serious revelation, a gross violation of human rights. And even after a lapse of one year, none of the culprits have been punished and real facts have not been ascertained yet.”
Brahma added that many innocent youths have been killed in the name of Counter-Insurgency operations in Assam, claiming that most of them were not even members of any extremist organizations.
Comments
0 comment