• NET Web Desk

The Gauhati High Court (HC) today sought details from the Assam government on status of the probe into the “police encounters” which occurred in the state, since May 2021.

Hearing a public interest litigation (PIL), a division bench of Chief Justice RM Chhaya and Justice Soumitra Saikia requested details from the state government, on whether guidelines issued by the SC for investigation into encounter cases have been followed.

The court gave 60 days to the state to file the details.

“The State shall bring on record appropriate materials indicating the progress made in each of the case and further indicate whether the guidelines issued by the Apex Court in the case of People’s Union for Civil Liberties and another Vs. State of Maharashtra & Ors., reported in (2014) 10 SCC 635 are followed in later and spirit or not,” – the court directed.

This matter has been listed for the next hearing on September 29.

Addressing the mediapersons, the Advocate General – Devajit Saikia noted that “the court has asked for some more details in the case. We sought time to submit these and accordingly, it has been allowed to us.”

The PIL was filed by advocate Arif Md Yeasin Jwadder, casting doubt on the increasing number of deaths and injuries in police custody.

Besides the Assam government, the director general of police (DGP), state Law and Justice Department, National Human Rights Commission and Assam Human Rights Commission have been named as respondents in the petition.

“Our counsel, prominent civil rights lawyer Prashant Bhusan, appeared at the hearing in the virtual mode today. He argued that police have not followed the law laid down in People’s Union of Civil Liberties (PUCL) Vs State of Maharashtra & others by the Supreme Court in the alleged fake encounter cases.” – Jwadder alleged.

No enquiry was instituted in cases where the accused was injured, and the probes into the incidents which led to deaths were not conducted as per the apex court guidelines, he claimed.