Shooting Should Be "Pattern" If Criminals Try To Escape: Assam CM While Speaking To OCs

Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio, said law has allowed the police to shoot at accused or criminals if they open fire first or try to escape.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guhwati: Announcing a 'new era of governance' Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma while justifying the series of encounters in the state since he assumed office on Monday asserted that shooting at criminals "should be the pattern" if they attempt to escape from custody or try to snatch arms from the police to open fire.

The Assam CM also advocated zero-tolerance to crime against women, well-equipped law-keepers, error-free charge sheet writing, among other things.

While speaking for the first time to all Officers-in-Charge (OCs) of the state's many police stations on "Redefining Policing Standards in Assam", the Chief Minister on Monday issued directions to strictly deal with crimes against women and show zero tolerance. 

"If an accused tries to snatch the service gun and run away, or even simply flee, and on top of it he is, say, a rapist, law allows shooting at such a person on the leg, but not on the chest," Sarma said according to PTI. Under the normal procedure, an accused will be chargesheeted and convicted, he said, adding, but if someone tries to escape, "we will take a zero-tolerance approach".

"But before doing what law has permitted us to do, we must keep our conscience clear that our work is for the good of the people and not to serve any interest of our own," the CM said according to PTI.

"When someone asked me whether shooting incidents are becoming a pattern in the state, I replied that (shooting) should be the pattern if it involves a criminal trying to escape police custody," he said.

Later while speaking to the media, he said that the Police has no authority for encounters.

"In a democracy, crime is fought through law and not encounter. These happen only when there are no other means," he was quoted by PTI.

At least 12 suspected militants and criminals have been shot dead in the state since May as they reportedly tried to escape from custody, while several others, including rape accused and cattle smugglers, were injured, according to the PTI report. The opposition, reacting to the incidents, alleged that Assam Police has turned "trigger happy" under the Himanta Biswa Sarma-led regime.

The state police, however, refuted the charge, claiming that it was the criminals who forced its personnel to resort to firing.

On Rape cases

Sarma also asked the police to complete the probe and file chargesheets in all pending rape, murder, drugs, extortion, and arms cases across the state within the next six months. He issued the instruction to the Officers In-Charge (OCs) of all police stations across the state at the first-ever face-to-face meeting between the OCs and the chief minister here.

"Within the next six months, chargesheets in all cases of rape, murder, drugs, extortion, and illegal arms pending at your police station must be submitted. Ask your senior officers, the range DIGs, for help wherever required," said Sarma, who also holds the Home portfolio.

"There would be a maximum of five rape cases in one police station area in a month. And a chargesheet is of three pages. We should think of the victim as our mother, sister, or daughter and prepare the chargesheet," he added.

On Cattle smuggling

The chief minister asserted that crimes like cattle smuggling should be dealt with very strictly.

"No one should even look towards a cow with criminal intent. A cow is like God for us, providing us with milk, dung, helping us in farming, etc. Our fathers were dependent on cows for survival and we have gone down to such a level that we are into cattle smuggling now. There should be no case relating to cows at all. No cattle should be smuggled into the state and anyone found involved, must be brought to book," he said, asking the OCs of Srirampur, Gossaigaon, Dhubri, and Sagolia, which are along the border with West Bengal and Bangladesh, specifically to remain vigilant.

Likewise, if anyone indulges in cattle theft within the state, stringent measures as per the law will be adopted, he added.

Resources and residences for personnel 

Sarma talked about the government's plans to provide facilities to the police station and said that all OCs will be allotted a four-wheeler or a motorbike, as required, within the next three months.

"Further, Rs 2.50 lakh will be given to each police station annually as a contingency fund to meet recurring expenses like electricity and phone bills, fuel charges, which could be a little more for larger police stations," the chief minister announced.

Besides, 'source money' for each police station will be provided through the IG (Special Branch) as maintaining a proper source for information is vital for any police station, he added.

"Three computers will be provided to each police station for efficient FIR registration, besides allotting generator sets to the police stations which do not have it currently," he said.

The Home Department is mulling constructing residential quarters for at least the OC and three Sub-Inspectors within the police station premise, Sarma said PTI reported.