Assam police arrest 5, demolish illegal houses after mob sets station on fire

GUWAHATI: The Assam government on Sunday constituted a special investigation team (SIT) to probe the mob attack on a police station in Nagaon district on Saturday following alleged death of a person in police custody.

A separate probe has been also started to find the reasons leading to the death of Safiqul Islam, a fish trader from Salanibari area under Batadrava police station. A demolition drive against illegal settlements was carried out on Sunday in the area.

“A mob of nearly 200-250 persons burnt the old building of Batadrava police station, which had some records, and few motor cycles. We have registered a case and arrested five persons and detained 15 others for questioning. A SIT has been formed to probe the incident. It will complete investigations within 45 days and file charge sheet within 60 days,” Special DGP (law and order) GP Singh said in Nagaon on Sunday.

He said that another independent probe will be conducted into the death of Islam, whose death led to the mob fury. It is alleged that Islam was picked up by police on Friday and died under mysterious circumstances the next day.

Police maintain that he was picked up after being found in a drunken state. They claim Islam fell unconscious after his family members, who came to meet him in the police station, gave him something to eat. He was taken to a hospital where he was declared ‘brought dead’.

“We have already done post-mortem of Islam’s body and collected viscera sample for forensic tests. Post-mortem report, forensic report of viscera sample and the independent probe by police will decide the cause of death. If we find there was some foul play in Islam’s death, a regular case in that regard would be lodged and investigation initiated against those involved,” Singh said.

Police requested members of the public and those from media who have video and photo evidence of Saturday’s incident to hand them over to police to help in investigations.

Due to allegations that some of those who were involved in Saturday’s incident had come prepared with kerosene, petrol and other inflammable materials, police have sought help of a forensic team who can collect evidence from the place which was set ablaze.

“During preliminary investigation, another allegation has surfaced that some of those involved in Saturday’s incident are encroachers on government land and some who have documents of land possession got them through fraudulent means,” said Singh.

“We have registered a separate case in that matter and the district administration has been apprised of it. Since people are staying illegally in that area and indulging in illegal tasks, some houses in that area have been demolished on Sunday,” he added. People familiar with the matter in Nagaon said that houses of some of Islam’s relatives in Salanibari area have also been razed on Sunday.

Singh said that while some records were burnt on Saturday by the mob, records from the past three years, which are in computer software, can be retrieved. Copies of case diaries and other documents can also be recovered, he added.

As part of the SIT probe, police in Nagaon will also get in touch with their counterparts in Barpeta and Bongaigaon districts, where investigations into jehadi terror with links to Bangladesh are underway, to find if any of the accused there have some links with those involved in Saturday’s incident.

“If any links with banned terror or jehadi outfits are established, we will include provisions of Unlawful Activities (Prevention) Act. Investigations by SIT would also probe if there was a pre-planned move to destroy records kept at police station or snatch weapons kept there,” Singh said.

Information minister Pijush Hazarika, who is also the guardian minister for Nagaon, said that none of those involved in the attack on the police station will be spared.

“If there was some foul play in Islam’s death, a case should have been lodged and law allowed to take its course. But instead of that, a mob that included women burnt down the police. We will take strong action and won’t allow such incidents to happen in future,” he said.

“The burning of a police station by a mob is unfortunate and condemnable. Action should be taken against all those people involved. But there should also be investigation on how a person died in police custody. Also why was the police station allowed to be burned down? Where were the police? Why didn’t they prevent it?” Congress MLA from Batadrava, Sibamoni Bora, said.