New Delhi: Holding four cases of encounter in Assam as fake, the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has directed the Assam government and the Defence Ministry to pay a total of Rs 30 lakh as relief to the families of six victims.
The Commission found four cases of encounters carried out by Assam Police, along with the units of the army and paramilitary forces in different parts of Assam, as fake. “Out of these, in three cases, the Commission has asked the government of Assam to pay a sum of total Rs 25 lakh as relief to the next of kin of the victims.
“In the fourth case, it has asked the Union Ministry of Defence to pay an amount of Rs 5 lakh as relief,” an NHRC statement said.
In all the cases, neither the Assam government nor the Defence Ministry could convince the Commission in response to its notices that the encounters were genuine and that the armed forces had to open fire in self-defence when they were attacked by the alleged miscreants and suspected extremists. The Commission has recommended a payment of Rs 5 lakh to the family of one Piku Ali, who was killed in police firing in Nagaon district on July 23, 2008.
Two persons, Mriganka Hazarika and Himanshu Gogoi, were killed in police firing in Dispur on the night of February 23, 2011. The Commission has recommended that next of kin of both the victims be paid Rs 5 lakh each as relief. Jwnwm Basumatary and Okhophat Basumatary were killed in an encounter with police at Furoibari under Dekiajuli Police Station in Sonitpur District on the June 22, 2009. The Commission has recommended Rs 5 lakh be paid to each family as relief.
NHRC has asked the Assam government, through its Chief Secretary, to pay the relief as recommended and submit the compliance report along with proof of payment within six to eight weeks. (PTI)
