GUWAHATI: In the past 54 days since the BJP-led government under Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was installed in Assam, at least six people in police custody sustained gunshot wounds while trying to "flee".
The injured were a cop allegedly involved in a case of kidnapping, one involved in a case of rape and murder of a nine-year-old girl, two cattle smugglers, a dacoit, and a drug peddler.
In the latest incident that took place on Friday night in Kokrajhar district, an alleged cattle smuggler was injured when the police fired at him. District Superintendent of Police, Thube Prateek Vijaykumar said the accused was attempting to flee after allegedly snatching the pistol of a police officer.
Assam's Special Director General of Police GP Singh had narrated on Twitter all the other failed attempts of the accused persons to flee.
According to him, on July 2, one Syed Ali (62), who is an accused in a case of rape and murder of a minor girl at Bhuragaon in Morigaon district, was injured in police firing while the person tried to escape under the garb of answering nature’s call.
On June 29, Raj Babu Singh, a police constable detained in connection with the kidnapping of a man from Guwahati, was injured in police firing while he was trying to escape from custody.
On June 26, an arrested veteran dacoit Sahidul Islam aka Sampatka had made an attempt to escape from the custody of Dhubri police using force. The police had cut short his run by opening fire in which he was injured.
Similarly, on June 24, one Mozammil Haque, who was arrested by Barpeta police in connection with cattle smuggling, had tried to "use force and escape from lawful custody". He was injured when the police fired to prevent his escape.
On June 22, an alleged drug peddler Safikul, who was arrested at Dharapur, tried to escape from police custody, and to prevent him from escaping, the police had fired that left him grievously injured.
Another person, an accused in a double rape and murder case in Kokrajhar district, was injured in police firing during a search operation. He was not in police custody then.
During the period, the police gunned down 11 persons, including nine militants. The insurgents were killed in three separate incidents.
The two others killed were one Kanwaldeep Singh Sidhu, a former officer with Railways Protection Special Force who was apprehended by the police for his alleged involvement in the kidnapping case in Guwahati. The police said he snatched a police weapon during travel and fired. He was injured in the retaliatory fire and succumbed to his injuries later.
Bubu Konwar, a gangster who was facing charges of murder, kidnapping, vehicle lifting, etc in more than 40 cases, was shot dead by the police on June 23.
On June 4, the Special DGP had tweeted: "My suggestion, advice, and warning to criminals, especially the repeat criminals - The recidivists - Take a cue from past few weeks about what lies ahead of you. We would not spare you, wherever you are."