GUWAHATI:
Assam Police Criminal Investigation Department (CID), on July 5, chargesheeted sub inspector (SI) Pradeep Bania in connection with the police firing incident at Kachalukhowa in Nagaon district in which a former student leader was severely injured.
On January 22, former Nagaon College Students Union general secretary, Kirti Kamal Bora, was injured when a team of Anti Narcotic Squad led by SI Bania fired at him from a close range at Kachalukahoawa village of Nagaon.
Post the incident, the police claimed that Bora was selling drugs and was shot in the leg after he attacked the law enforcers.
In his statement, Kirti stated that he had gone to get some medicines for his mother when he saw some police personnel allegedly beating a man near his locality. When he asked them why they were roughing up the person, the police personnel abused Bora verbally and warned him of dire consequences if he didn’t get away from there.
When Bora asked them why they were passing such remarks, they pulled him to the corner of the street and started thrashing him with sticks. Afterwards, they shot him in the leg.
After the incident, Bora was initially admitted to Nagaon Civil Hospital but later, was shifted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH).
The Nagaon superintendent of police Anand Mishra also challenged that Bora was a drug peddler and he was injured during an encounter.
Based on the FIR lodged by Kirti’s father Nila Kamal Bora, the police had registered a case at Nagaon Sadar Police Station case No 139/2022 under section 341/326/307 and 500 of IPC and section 25(IA) of Arms Act.
The police also registered another case vide Nagaon Sadar PS case No 130/2022 under section 294/325/353/307 of IPC read with section 21(a0/29 of NDPS Act based on a FIR lodged by SI Pradeep Bania against the injured victim Kirti and Zakir Hussain of Nagaon with the allegation of recovery of drugs from the injured.
The CID was entrusted to probe into the entire episode. After completion of the investigation, the CID filed the charge sheet in the court of Nagaon chief judicial magistrate on Tuesday.
The second case registered by police based on SI Bania’s FIR was also investigated by the police and returned in the final report vide Nagaon PS FR No 866/2022 date 03/2007/2022.
Notably, the state home department on February 8 suspended SI Pradip Bania and issued transfer orders to all officials of the Narcotics Squad of Nagaon Police in connection with the incident.
Based on the recommendation of a one-man inquiry panel led by additional chief secretary Paban Barthakur, the state government directed the director-general of police (DGP) to dissolve the Anti-Narcotic Squad of Nagaon Police immediately.
On January 27, the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) had registered a suo motu case in connection with the firing incident.