GUWAHATI:
Former General Secretary of Nagaon College student union and All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) leader Kirti Kamal Bora was injured in police firing, on the evening of January 22.
As per sources, Kirti was allegedly shot at by the anti-narcotics team of Nagaon police.
Addressing the press, Kirti said that on Saturday, he had gone to get some medicines for his mother when he saw some police personnel allegedly beating a man near his locality.
“When I asked them why they are roughing up the person, the police personnel abused me verbally and warned me of dire consequences if I don’t get away from there. When I asked them why they are passing such remarks, they pulled me to the corner of the street and started thrashing me with sticks. Afterward, they shot me in the leg,” alleged Bora.
After the incident, Bora was initially admitted to Nagaon Civil Hospital but later, was shifted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). Currently, he is undergoing treatment at the institute.
Taking cognizance of the matter Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said that strict action will be taken against police personnel if found guilty, and that the government has constituted a one-man inquiry committee to investigate the matter.
Meanwhile, Nagaon Superintendent of Police Anand Mishra informed that he will personally investigate the matter to find out whether it was an act of “overdoing” by the police.
“In the preliminary investigation, I found that police received information that some bikers were selling drugs. When two policemen in civil dress reached the spot, this particular youth asked them whether they were law enforcers. When they replied in affirmative, the accused hit one of them with his helmet and injured him. A backup police team placed nearby also reached the spot and tried to overpower him, but he continued attacking them. Left with no other option, police fired at his leg. Eight vials containing heroin were seized from his possession,” Mishra said.
Following the incident, opposition parties such as the Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) and Raijor Dal condemned the incident, terming it as a clear case of “open killing”.
“The state administration has planned to kill the AASU leader. The Himanta Biswa Sarma-led government has started ‘open killing’ of selected youth in the state in the style of ‘secret killing’,” AJP president Lurinjyoti Gogoi alleged.
At the same time, Raijor Dal party chief and Sivasagar MLA, Akhil Gogoi, also condemned the incident and demanded the arrest of the police officials involved in it.