PS arson: AIUDF, Cong demand judicial probe

Guwahati: All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) and Congress in Assam demanded a judicial probe into the Batadrava police station arson case, death of accused in police custody and eviction of houses of the arrested accused in Nagaon district.
A day after a prime accused in the Batadrava police station arson case died in a road accident after being hit by a police vehicle, AIUDF chief Badruddin Ajmal said, “There is something wrong. The death of an accused in a road accident was pre-planned. A judicial inquiry must be conducted to bring out the truth.”
An accused, identified as Ashiqul Islam, who was arrested early on Sunday for vandalising and torching Batadrava police station in Nagaon district on May 21, died in a road accident while allegedly trying to escape by jumping out of a running police vehicle and was accidentally hit by another police vehicle following behind on Sunday night.
Meanwhile, Congress MLA of Batadrava assembly constituency, Sibamoni Bora, said, “Power is being misused by the police. Police must act by staying within the purview of the law. I condemn the act of vandalising and torching the police station, death of an accused in police custody and the eviction of the houses of the accused. Nothing was right in my view.”
Therefore, she demanded a probe by a sitting judge of Gauhati High Court in the case so that the accused get punishment within the law and nothing illegal takes place.
On Monday, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “If someone doubts the role of police in the investigation into the case, then they can go to see the site of the accident. We have to call it an accident if somebody jumps out of a running vehicle. We cannot say that the police killed someone.”
Police have arrested 11 in connection with the case and are yet to arrest at least 20 accused, including one Majeda Khatun, who had torched the motorcycles first.