Students in Nagaon, Assam, organized a big demonstration against the police today after cops shot a former student leader on suspicion of being a drug pusher. On Saturday night, the incident occurred.
Students blocked a highway and shouted anti-Assam police and Nagaon SP Anand Mishra slogans for using "brutality" against the former student leader.
Kirtti Kamal Bora of Nagaon's Kachalukhua region has been recognized as the young man.
Nagaon police recently gained headlines for their large anti-drug campaign in the district.
The police had come in plainclothes at the site on Saturday evening after receiving a tip that drugs were being sold in Nagaon's Kachalukhua district. “Two of our men were there to inspect… then people present there got suspicious and started questioning our men, who told them they were policemen. After that, chaos ensued and a brawl began,” said Nagaon SP Anand Mishra, adding that there were three or four people in all. “Two tried to run away, so one policeman began to chase them. In the meanwhile, the other policeman who was left behind was being beaten up by two others present. As per his version, he was compelled to fire to save himself, otherwise, he would have been killed.”
The victim claimed he was driving home when he observed a group of police officers beating up on someone; when he asked what was going on, the officers allegedly verbally abused him.
He claimed that while protesting the police's actions, he was dragged off his bike and beaten. Then he was shot in the leg.
The victim said, "After I was shot, one of the policemen said that they should have shot me on my chest and killed me."
Mr. Bora, according to Nagaon SP Anand Mishra, was suspected of being involved in the illegal narcotics trade and was shot because he confronted a police officer.
The SP said, that they also recovered eight packets of drugs from the spot, “That is why he was hit by the bullet,” including one from Bora’s person. “We are now trying to ascertain whether he was a consumer or a peddler,” he said.
“Around 7.30 pm on Saturday, my mother had sent him to get some medication. Ten minutes later, we heard some commotion near our house… I rushed out and saw my brother was on the road, with 6 or 7 cops around him,” says Bora's brother.
He claimed that while protesting the police's actions, he was dragged off his bike and beaten. Then he was shot in the leg.
“We never thought the police would do something like that. Encounter action has become a trend in Assam,” as his whole family is in great shock after the incident.
"We want justice for Kirtti Kamal Bora. How can police shoot him on his leg without any reason? We won't tolerate such behaviour of policemen," a student said protesting against the police for shooting him.
The students demanded that the officers implicated in the "shooting him without a cause" event be arrested right now.
According to the students, if Kirtti had been mistaken, he could have been arrested by the police because he was alone while at least nine police officers were on the scene.
One of the protestors said, "Why did they not catch him by physical force? He was outnumbered as compared to the police."
"My son was innocent. He has not done anything wrong, then why did policemen shoot him. I want justice for my son," the victim’s mother said who also joined the protest.
Chief Minister Sarma has been accused by the opposition of fostering a "trigger happy" police force. MLA Akhil Gogoi compared Sarma's reign to "jungle raj," saying, "Incidents like these expose the personality of Assam Police."
The AASU has also expressed its displeasure with the occurrence. Samujjal Kumar Bhattacharjya, the AASU's main advisor, has urged a judicial investigation into the incident. To protest the tragedy, the Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba-Chatra Parishad (AJYCP) and the Asom Asom Student Union (AASU) organized a large march in Nagaon.
Since becoming Chief Minister, Sarma has emphasized a "zero-tolerance policy" toward offenders, allowing the police "full operational liberty within the framework of the law" to operate.
More than 60 people have been injured and at least 30 have been killed while allegedly attempting to flee police custody since May of last year.
In response to the criticism, Sarma stated that the Nagaon event was under investigation and that it should not be compared to other police actions in which actual drug dealers and criminals were apprehended. He said the officers engaged in Saturday's incident had been placed on reserve. "If found guilty, action will definitely be taken," he stated.
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