NHRC intervention sought into police firing death

GUWAHATI: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) on Friday received a complaint seeking its intervention in the incident during the first phase of panchayat polls where one Gyanendra Rajkhowa died in police firing. The incident happened at the Habial polling station in Golaghat on Wednesday.

A Delhi-based entrepreneur, Bhargav Bhushan Bhuyan, lodging the complaint, prayed to the NHRC to issue stern directives to the state government to fix responsibility of the death of Rajkhowa and take necessary action.

Bhuyan told TOI, "It's nothing but a barbaric act on part of the police, who are liable for public security. It's inhuman and I prayed the commission to issue necessary directions to the state government.

The deputy superintendent of police (DSP) Partha Pratim Saikia, who was leading the police team, should be suspended immediately."

The deceased allegedly threatened voters with a scythe and attempted to attack police. After reportedly failing to control him, police shot him. He later succumbed to his injuries.

Protests erupted thereafter in the district. On Thursday, a large number of people from Habialgaon area in Golaghat district blocked the busy Dergaon-Golaghat road at Ganakpukhuri area for about three hours, demanding the arrest of the DSP. The father of the deceased, Nagen Rajkhowa, has lodged a police complaint alleging inter alia that his son Gyanendra was a psychiatric patient and police killed him by firing from point-blank range.

"On receiving the complaint we have booked Saikia under section 302 (punishment for murder) of IPC," said additional superintendent of police (Golaghat) Dhruba Borah. An investigating officer from outside the district has been asked to conduct the investigation into the case.

While eyewitnesses alleged that police opened fire on Rajkhowa without making an attempt to catch him, police claimed that it was an act of 'self-defence'.