Guwahati, Feb 10: The Gauhati High Court on Thursday gave the Assam government one week’s time to file a rejoinder against the affidavit submitted to the Court last Tuesday on the alleged fake encounters by Assam Police since May last year.
The High Court had taken up the public interest litigation (PIL) on the alleged fake encounters for hearing after the counsel for the petitioner stated that the affidavit, which was served on Tuesday, “is not a detailed affidavit,” as was directed to be filed by the Court vide order dated January 11, 2022.
Advocate General Devajit Saikia, who appeared for the state government, sought one week’s time to file the rejoinder against the affidavit (submitted to the Court on Tuesday), which was granted by the Court.
The next date of hearing has been fixed on February 21, 2022.
New Delhi-based advocate Arif Jwadder, who had filed the PIL (number 86/2021), mentioned that 80 such encounters have taken place in the state since May 2021, resulting in 28 deaths and leaving 48 injured.
Jwadder, who belongs to Assam, has sought an order from the High Court for the registration of an FIR in the alleged fake encounter cases and an independent investigation by the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI), a Special Investigation Team (SIT) or a police team from another state, under the supervision of the Court.
He also sought a judicial inquiry by a sitting Judge of the Gauhati High Court into the alleged encounters and monetary compensation to the families of the victims after due verification.
Besides the state government, Assam Police, the department of law and justice, National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) and the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had been named respondents in the petition.
In July last year, Jwadder had filed a complaint against such incidents with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC).
The commission had sought a report from the Assam Police in September. In November, NHRC transferred the case to the Assam Human Rights Commission.