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Assam Police killed 51 people since May last year, govt tells HC

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The Assam Police have killed 51 people and injured 139 since May last year, the state government told the Gauhati High Court in an affidavit, officials said on Tuesday.

The affidavit said “as far records, there have been 51 numbers of death and 193 numbers of injuries caused due to police action or during police custody since May 2021 till May 31 this year.”

The Assam government’s Home Department following a direction from the Gauhati High Court filed the affidavit in connection with a Public Interest Litigation on fake encounters that came up for hearing in the court on Monday. Delhi-based lawyer and activist, Arif Jwadder filed the PIL.

The case will be heard again on July 29 as the judges would study the affidavit carefully.

Advocate General Devajit Saikia appeared for the Assam government while Jwadder appeared virtually. Jwadder in the PIL demanded monetary compensation for the families of the victims after due verification.

The PIL has sought the High Court’s intervention to register FIRs on the alleged “fake encounters” and a probe by the Central Bureau of Investigation or a Special Investigation Team or by a police team from another state under the supervision of the High Court.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma after assuming office on May 10 last year announced a crackdown on militants, drug dealers, smugglers, murderers, cattle lifters and those accused of rape and crimes against women. Of the 51 people, some were killed in custody, some while ‘trying to escape after snatching a policeman’s firearm’ while several others were shot in the leg. A few accused died “after being hit by police vehicles” while going to verify their (accused) statement at the crime spot.

Jwadder earlier lodged a similar complaint about these alleged ‘fake encounters’ with the National Human Rights Commission (NHRC). “All the victims were unarmed and handcuffed at the time of the encounter. Those people who have been killed or injured were not dreaded criminals,” he said.

“Above all, this petition raises the issue of violation of the rule of law and equality before law and equal protection of laws. Police personnel do not have a licence to kill, the whole idea of the CrPC is to apprehend criminals and bring them to justice, not to kill them,” the lawyer-turned-activist said in his PIL.

Jwadder said that the NHRC had earlier taken cognizance of his complaint and asked for an action taken report (ATR) from the Assam Police. All the opposition political parties, including the Congress, criticised the BJP government for the “killing and injuring of people through encounters”.

Crime

‘Will take her back to Odisha after she records statement’: Durgapur gang-rape victim’s father

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Kolkata, Oct 13: The father of the second-year medical student said on Monday that he will take the victim back to Odisha once she records her statement before a judicial magistrate.

The father of the victim also met the West Bengal Leader of the Opposition, Suvendu Adhikari, on Monday afternoon.

Adhikari told the victim’s father that he would arrange the transport facility for the victim. A video of the conversation between the two was also shared on Adhikari’s official Facebook account.

In the video, Adhikari first inquired about the physical condition of the victim. The father said that his daughter was more stable than before. Then the BJP leader advised him that if there was a need for better treatment, then the victim should be taken to Odisha. The father responded by saying that he plans to take the victim to Odisha once she records her statement before a judicial magistrate under section 164 of the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPC).

Adhikari told him that he would talk to the Odisha Chief Minister Mohan Charan Majhi and other BJP leaders and Union Minister Dharmendra Pradhan to ensure that all necessary arrangements are made in Odisha.

The BJP leader further asked the victim’s father whether West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee had called him.

In response, the victim’s father said, “We spoke to the Chief Minister of Odisha. But there was no talk with the Chief Minister of West Bengal.”

Meanwhile, Governor C.V. Ananda Bose expressed concern over the Durgapur incident. On Monday, he left Howrah station for Durgapur in a car.

At the station, he said, “I have taken stock of the entire incident. I am going to talk to the victim. Strict action will be taken against those who did this.”

On Friday, the second-year medical student from Odisha was allegedly gang-raped outside the campus in Durgapur after she went out with her male friend for dinner.

The police have arrested all five accused in the Durgapur gang-rape case.

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Crime

Mumbai: Terrorist Angle Rules Out In Navy Nagar Rifle Theft Case; Police Say ‘Brothers Stole Weapon For…’

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The Mumbai Crime Branch has ruled out any Maoist or terrorist links from the case pertaining to an Agniveer and his brother involved in the stealing of an INSAS rifle, 40 live cartridges, two loaded magazines from Colaba’s Navy Nagar.

The incident took place last month, where both brothers were arrested within 48 hours of the theft from Asifabad in Telangana, a region which is known for its Naxal activity.

The brothers stole the weapon for their own protection as their is Maoist scare in their village. Speaking of the investigation, a senior officer TOI, “They said since Rakesh had only a four-year service tenure, they wanted to keep the weapon for their own protection as their village in Telangana’s Kumuram Bheed Asifabad is Maoist-affected. The officer also added that Rakesh’s brother Umesh wanted to indulge in extortion activities using the weapon.

A chargesheet will be filed for the two brothers for the theft while the sources revealed that currently Alok Singh who handed the rifle to Rakesh has not been given any important duty and is at a detention center.

The report added that police suspect that Umesh, who runs a ration shop in Telangana’s Adilabad district, reportedly instigated his brother to commit the theft. Moreover, the police stated that they believe Umesh has connections to local Maoist through an illegal liquor trade.

On September 6, Rakesh allegedly entered Navy Nagar impersonating a Quick Reaction Team (QRT) member. He then approached Alok Singh, a 20-year-old jawan on radar protection duty at AP Towers, and convinced him that he was sent to relieve him. He convinced him to hand over his rifle along with two loaded magazines.

Rakesh then threw the stolen weapon and magazines over a wall to Umesh, after which the two fled to Lokmanya Tilak Terminus and boarded a train to Telangana.

Later the same day, Alok returned to the radar post around 7 pm to collect his wristwatch, find that the unidentified man had vanished with the rifle and ammunition.

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Crime

Mumbai Police File FIR Against Agent Who Issued Fraudulent Dubai Job Offer To Retired Navy Chief Petty Officer Rakesh Kumar Yadav

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Mumbai: The Sahar police have registered an FIR against manpower agent Vinayak Koli for allegedly providing a fake appointment letter to a retired Navy Chief Petty Officer, Rakesh Kumar Yadav, 56, in an attempt to send him to Dubai.

Yadav, who retired in 2008 and previously worked as a seaman, had connected with Koli in 2021 while they were both working for the same company in Nigeria. In August 2025, while seeking a new job, Yadav responded to a WhatsApp job advertisement for an Electro Technical Officer. He discovered one of the contact numbers belonged to Koli, who then assured Yadav of an overseas position with Prayati Shipping Company.

Koli collected Yadav’s documents and, on October 9, provided him with an offer letter, an invitation, and a flight ticket from Mumbai to Dubai for the following day. However, on October 10, when Yadav presented the documents at Mumbai International Airport, immigration officers grew suspicious. An inquiry confirmed the offer letter was fraudulent.

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