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Friday, March 29, 2024

Assam: Court rejects final report on Sam Stafford’s killing case

GUWAHATI:

The court of the Chief Judicial Magistrate of Kamrup Metro has rejected the final report submitted by the Guwahati City Police on the death of Sam Stafford due to police firing during the protest against the Citizenship Amendment Act 2019.

The incident took place on December 12, 2019, in Hatigaon area of Guwahati when Sam was returning from a protest organised against the CAA when he died in police firing. Three other youths had also died in police firing at different areas of the city.

Sam’s post-mortem report also shows that he suffered injuries caused by blunt force. The report that has been procured recently by the family states, “The bullet passed from back to front, below upwards, lateral to medially piercing through the muscle on the back and exiting through the muscle of another side.” The other injuries were caused by “blunt force impact”.

Soon after receiving the post-mortem report, Sam’s family filed an FIR in Hatigaon police station, accusing the police of murder (Section 302 IPC) and carrying out a “criminal act” by several persons (Section 34 IPC).

Guwahati-based child rights organisation, the Universal team for Social Action and Help (UTSAH), demanded a fair inquiry into the killing and said it will approach the commission for children’s rights and move to court.

Hatigaon Police Station had registered case No 923/19 under section 326/302 of IPC. On March 3, 2021, the police submitted a final report before the CJM court stating that it was a case of “mistake of fact”.

However, with assistance from then Rajya Sabha MP and present Assam Trinamool Congress president Ripun Bora, Biju Stafford submitted a complaint before the court on January 27 seeking the court’s intervention to reject the final report submitted by the police.

Following the submission of affidavit and counter-affidavits in connection with the case, the CJM court on June 28, rejected the final report and registered it as a “complaint case”.

While welcoming the court’s decision, Assam TMC urged all nationalist organisations which are opposing the introduction of the CAA in Assam, to extend their help and cooperation to the families of five persons, who were killed during the anti-CAA protest, so that they will get justice.

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