Assam: Cameraman Seen In Viral Police Firing Video Arrested, CID To Probe

A cameraman who was seen attacking an injured protester in Assam's Sipajhar area has been arrested, confirmed the state police

Screenshot of Assam's viral video

New Delhi: After the viral video from Assam's Sipajhar area in which a photographer was seen attacking an injured protester shocked the country, the state police have confirmed that he has been arrested and a case has been registered with CID.

As per the input received by ABP News, the cameraman seen in Assam viral video has been identified as Bijay Shankar Baniya, a photographer with the Darrang district administration. 

The incident came to light after a video went viral on social media in which a man in civilian clothes with a camera in his hand can be seen jumping on the body of a protestor who was apparently a dead man with a bullet wound on his chest laying motionless.

The video shows hundreds of policemen firing at unseen targets from behind the trees, and a man in vest and lungi running on a dusty street. A photographer ran behind him until the time the men in uniform surrounded the man as gunshots rang in the background.

The photographer was seen being led out by a policeman but soon returned, jumped over his body, and hit him with something he had picked up lying close by. The man's left arm lifted momentarily, before he lay still, with a red circle of blood from a bullet wound on his chest, and a 'Gomosa', the traditional stole associated with Assamese pride, lying crumpled beside him.

The incident happened in Sipajhar in Assam's Darrang district on Thursday as police tried to evict "encroachers", leaving two people dead in police firing, around 20 injured in clashes.

The dead have been identified as Saddam Hussain and Sheikh Forid.

The state government announced a judicial inquiry into the circumstances leading to the incident amid mounting public anger.

Judicial Inquiry Ordered

An order issued by the Home and Political Department's Secretary Debaparasad Misra said the government has decided the inquiry will be conducted by a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court, mentioned a PTI report.

Reacting to the incident, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has said that the police were forced to take action as the mob of several hundred people protesting the eviction drive, attacked the security personnel with sticks, machetes, and spears.

The incident triggered widespread condemnation, with Congress leader Rahul Gandhi calling the police action "state-sponsored fire". 

Congress leader Rahul Gandhi tweeted, "Assam is on state-sponsored fire. I stand in solidarity with our brothers and sisters in the state- no children of India deserve this."

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said in Guwahati the eviction drive will not be stopped. "The police has been entrusted with the responsibility of clearing the land from encroachers and they will continue to do it till the job is done. Eviction will stop once it is dark and resume again tomorrow," he added.

The public protest had erupted over the demand for rehabilitation of nearly 800 families evicted from the land they were living on for decades.

What did the Assam police say?

Darrang Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma, a younger brother of Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, claimed the protesters, armed with sharp weapons, pelted the police personnel and others present with stones.

Police initially fired in air to disperse the protesters but failed, forcing the men in uniform to fire at people, killing two and injuring at least ten others. Around 10 more, including policemen, were also injured in clashes.

The injured included eight policemen. Assistant Sub-Inspector Moniruddin is admitted to the Gauhati Medical College Hospital in critical condition.

The protesters were dispersed later and the eviction drive continued. 

The Darrang district administration has so far cleared 602.40 hectares of land and evicted 800 families since Monday, and demolished four 'illegally' constructed religious structures at Sipajhar.

(With inputs from Manogya Loiwal)