Assam DGP Visits Area to Reviews Situation After Deadly Eviction Drive

Guwahati: Assam DGP G P Singh on Friday reviewed the situation at Kochutoli village in Kamrup (Metropolitan) district where two persons were killed and 11 others injured in police firing during a drive to evict alleged encroachers. After reviewing the situation and deployment of police personnel, the DGP told reporters that the attack by villagers on the police on Thursday was suspected to be a case of ''conspiracy'' by a certain section as the eviction drive was continuing peacefully since Monday.

DGP Suspects Conspiracy Behind Attack on Police

''The eviction was continuing peacefully but on Thursday, a certain section began attacking the police with sharp weapons. There are railway tracks nearby with the attackers picking up stones from there to pelt stones at those on official duty'', Singh said.

He said police were forced to open fire which led to the death of two protestors and injuries to 22 police personnel and 11 villagers.

Police Suspect Instigation Behind the Violence

The district police and the railway police have filed cases under relevant sections as ''we suspect a conspiracy and that the incident of attack was instigated'', Singh said.

Asked how many arrests have been made so far, the DGP said that several people have been detained for interrogation.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Sarma said that the eviction drive will continue as the people had settled illegally on tribal belt land, reserved for certain tribes and protected classes.

''It was the Congress that had declared that the land was reserved for tribals but now when we are clearing the land occupied by illegal settlers, it is they who are instigating people to come out and attack the officials and police personnel on duty'', Sarma said on the sidelines of a programme on Friday.

Eviction Drive to Resume After DGP's Review

An official said out that the eviction drive was expected to resume after the review by the DGP.

Singh said, ''Since the last week of August, we have been announcing through public address systems that the villagers should clear the place and many of them had also left along with their belongings''.

Illegal Settlements Identified on Tribal Land

Since the last few months, illegal construction in the area was noticed and the chief minister's attention was drawn towards it, following which ''we were directed to find out the details regarding who the settlers were'', the DGP said.

''We coordinated with the district authorities to find out the status of the land and we were told that it was declared as a tribal belt in 1950 in accordance with the Assam Land Regulation Act, 1886 where only tribals and some protected class of people could reside'', he said.

During the recent survey it was found that a new section of people who began residing in the area do not belong to the protected class and the government gave the direction to take action according to the law, the DGP added.

Violence Erupts During Eviction Drive

A team from the Sonapur circle office and the police had gone to Kochutoli village to evict Bengali-speaking Muslim villagers who had previously been removed from the encroached land but had again returned.

The villagers, including women, had attacked the officials and policemen with sharp weapons, sticks and stones. 

(With PTI inputs)