Jorhat woman demands justice for son who died in Army custody

JORHAT: A 60-year-old woman, whose only son died in Army custody in June this year, has launched an indefinite hunger strike at the Borholla area of Jorhat district, demanding punishment to the guilty Army men.
Jayanta Bora (25), a resident of Balijan block number 15 in Borholla area in Jorhat district, died after an Army team from 244 field regiment based in Charaideo detained him at around midnight on June 15. Later, Jayanta was admitted at Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) where he was declared dead. Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had asked commissioner Lalit Gogoi to conduct a probe into the matter. The state government later handed over the investigation to CID and three police officers were suspended for the incident.
Jorhat deputy commissioner Roshni Aparanji Korati said, “Army from 244 field regiment came with a requisition informing about the presence of militants at Borholla and requested to provide police representative to conduct a search operation. Accordingly, a police team assisted the Army in detaining Jayanta Bora, who later died at JMCH.”
Jayanta’s mother Lila Bora staged her protest in front of Borholla police station and said the agitation would continue until her demands her addressed. She said, “I have started an indefinite hunger strike against the failure of the government to punish the guilty Army men who brutally assaulted my son to death. State ministers Atul Bora and Jugen Mohan, and MP Tapan Gogoi had made given us written assurances that the guilty would be punished within a week. But they have failed to do so. Commissioner Lalit Gogoi was conducting a probe into the incident but no Army man has been punished.”
In the programme, representatives of Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, Asom Jatiyatabadi Yuba Chatra Parishad, Nyai Dabi Samannya Samiti, Chatra Mukti Sangram Samiti and Chutia Chatra Santha were present. The representatives unanimously said that they would take up a series of protest programmes soon if their demands are not addressed.