GUWAHATI:
The Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) on January 27 registered a suo motu case in connection with the Nagaon firing incident of January 22.
The AHRC, which took cognizance of the alleged firing incident in which former general secretary of Nowgong College Student Union Kirti Kamal Bora was injured, also issued a show cause notice to the state’s chief secretary demanding a response on the same within February 28 for not recommending Rs 1.5 lakh as interim relief to the victim.
“Having found a prima facie case of violating human rights, it is felt necessary to issue notice to the chief secretary of Assam to show cause as to why payment of compensation of Rs 1.5 lakh as interim relief to the victim should not be recommended as per clause © of Sub Section-18 of The Protection of Human Rights Act, 1993 (sic),” an AHRC order read.
It may be recalled that the Anti-Narcotics Squad of Assam Police had allegedly shot at Bora on suspicion of being a drugs peddler. He was immediately admitted in Nagaon Bhoogesari Phookanani Civil Hospital and the doctor referred him to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital on the same night.
According to reports, a team of Anti-Narcotic Squad had launched a search operation against a drugs peddler near Kachalukhuwa Tiniali, and thrashing him when Bora had reached the spot and enquired why was the person being roughed up. Infuriated on being questioned, SI Pradip Bania had allegedly shot at Bora’s lower limb and injured him.
Meanwhile, the one-man inquiry panel constituted by the Assam government to probe the incident, conducted a public hearing on January 27. The panel is supposed to submit its report within a week.