Gogoi orders judicial probe into encounter deaths

Guwahati: Assam chief minister Tarun Gogoi on Saturday announced that the state had decided to institute a judicial inquiry into the incident of alleged fake encounter in which two school students were killed in Chirang district in western Assam last week.
“The government has decided to institute a judicial inquiry in view of the people raising doubt over possibility of unearthing the truth through the inquiry to be conducted by an additional chief secretary as was directed couple of days back,” chief minister Gogoi said here.
Gogoi also said his government was seriously concerned over the incident, especially in view of people and organizations disputing the official claim that it was an encounter and that the two boys had fired at the security forces with an AK-series weapon. “The government will take appropriate action if it is proved to be a fake encounter,” Gogoi said.
Two high school students – Pranjit Narzary (Class VI) and Jirimia Narzary (Class X) – were killed in what the government described as an “encounter” after the three persons allegedly fired upon a joint team of Assam Police and army in village Raidwongbari in Chirang district in western Assam at around 1-30 A.M. on December 11.
The police authorities also claimed to have recovered an AK-series weapon from them.
A magisterial inquiry is already on at the district level with Chirang deputy commissioner Virendra Mittal saying that the inquiry report is expected to be submitted within 10 days.
All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) president Pramod Boro had said that altogether three high school students have been killed in Chirang district in ‘fake encounters’ with security forces last week.
The BSU has already moved the NHRC over the killing of two youths under Runikhata police station.