'Local Bad Elements' Involved: Assam DGP After Nagaon Police Station Set On Fire Over 'Custodial Death'

The family members of the fish trader of Salonabori village claimed that the police had demanded Rs 10,000 and a duck as a bribe for his release

New Delhi: Assam police chief Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta on Sunday released a statement on an alleged case of custodial death of a man in the state's  Nagaon district. It comes after a police station in the Nagaon was set afire by a mob on Saturday in outrage over the alleged custodial death. According to news agency PTI, the mob had set ablaze the Batadrava Police Station and several two-wheelers in the afternoon following the death of a fish trader who was detained by the police late on Friday evening when he was going to take a bus for Sivsagar.

In his statement, DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta mentioned, "One Safiqul Islam (39yo) was brought to Batadrava Thana on 20/05/22 at 9:30PM after receiving a complaint of him being drunk. He was in fact lying on a public road before he was brought in. He was booked after medical check up. The next day he was released and handed over to his wife." 

"His wife even gave him some water/food. Later he complained of sickness and he was taken to two hospitals, one after another. Unfortunately he was declared dead. We take this unfortunate death very seriously and have put the Batadrava Thana OC on suspension and rest of the staff Closed," he revealed.

The Assam police chief ensured that if there is any foul play at the police's end, "we mean to find that and punish the guilty according to law."

On the mob attack, DGP Bhaskar Mahanta stated that "some local bad elements took law onto their own hands and burnt down the thana. These bad elements came in all forms women, men, young and old. But the preparedness with which they came, the ferocious & organised attack they staged on police force has made us think deeper."

According to the statement, the police does not think these were grieving relatives of the deceased, "but as we have identified, they were bad characters and their relatives with criminal records - RECORDS that were there within the thana. Proof, incrementing evidences - all burnt down. So don’t think this is a simple action-reaction incident. There much more to it."

Family's Accusation On 'Custodial Death', Three Arrested For Police Station Fire

According to PTI's report, the family members of the fish trader of Salonabori village claimed that the police had demanded Rs 10,000 and a duck as a bribe for his release, and his wife visited the police station with a duck in the morning.

When she returned with the money later, she learnt that her husband had been taken to Nagaon Civil Hospital. After reaching there, she found him dead, they claimed.

Alleging that the man died because of torture, villagers gheraoed the police station, allegedly assaulted on-duty police personnel and then torched the police station.

Fire tenders later brought the fire under control.

Nagaon Superintendent of Police Leena Doley said that three of those involved in the arson were arrested and operations are on to nab the others, PTI reported.

On the allegations of bribe for release, she said that all the charges will be investigated and if anyone is found guilty, steps will be taken.

Meanwhile, Assam DGP assured people of Assam that the police will not let go any police personnel found guilty and will act "even tougher against elements who think that they can escape Indian justice system, by burning down Police Stations." 

"We will simply not allow this. Let this be first and last warning to all antisocial/criminal elements," he wrote.

(With Agency Inputs)