Two persons were killed, and 35 others including police and administrative personnel were injured in police firing and clashes when an ongoing eviction drive to remove alleged illegal settlers from government land turned violent at Kachutali in Kamrup Metropolitan district of Assam on Thursday.
According to officials, the incident happened when hundreds of alleged illegal settlers attacked police and administration personnel present at the site located around 45 km from Guwahati with sticks, stones, daggers and sharp weapons. The deaths took place when police resorted to firing in retaliation.
“Today (September 12), the government officials including on-duty police were attacked by sharp weapons and stones were pelted at them obstructing them in government duty and causing grievous injuries with deadly intent. In this, 22 government officials have received injuries, including grievous injuries,” Assam director general of police (DGP) GP Singh posted on X.
He added that following the “targeted attack by miscreants”, police also resorted to “authorized use of force following due process” in which 13 persons were injured, of whom two have been declared dead at the hospital.
“Guwahati police have been directed to identify all the miscreants involved in the attack on government officials and take lawful action. Due statutory processes are being followed regarding use of force by police. Proper treatment is being provided to the Government officials and others injured today,” Singh said.
According to police, revenue authorities of Kamrup Metropolitan district have been carrying out eviction proceedings from the government land in the notified tribal belt of Sonapur revenue circle since September 9 “following laid down processes”.
During this process, 248 bighas (155 acres) of government land have been cleared of encroachment removing 237 illegally constructed structures in the tribal belt built by people not authorized to build such structures. The process, which local administration claims was carried out after giving notices to the settlers, had passed smoothly in the past three days.
“When the Congress started opposing the eviction drive in the morning (Thursday), the situation became worse and a large number of people with lathis, bamboo sticks attacked the police and government officials’ team who went to the area today,” ANI quoted Assam. chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
The two deceased, identified as Zubahir Ali (22) and Haider Ali (19), who had sustained bullet injuries, were rushed to the Sonapur government hospital nearby where they succumbed to their injuries.
The injured among police and administrative personnel include the circle officer of Sonapur, Nitul Khataniar, deputy commissioner of police (east) Mrinal Deka, and eight women constables.
Thursday’s incident wasn’t the first time eviction drives have turned violent in Assam. Two civilians were killed and several others, including 9 policemen, were injured in violence during an eviction drive in Darrang district on September 23, 2021.
Police had claimed that a mob of nearly 2,000 persons attacked the police team during the eviction drive at Dholpur in Sipajhar block, nearly 65 km away from Guwahati, following which police resorted to baton charge and firing that resulted in the deaths and injuries.
The Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP)-led government in Assam under chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has been carrying out eviction drives since coming to power in May 2021. In July this year, Sarma claimed that an area of 167 square kilometres, bigger than the size of Chandigarh, had been freed of illegal encroachers due to these drives.
