Assam: Former J&K top cop to probe ‘encounter’
The Union Home Ministry has named former Jammu and Kashmir police chief Ashok Prasad to probe fake encounter allegations against a joint Army, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), Sashastra Seema Bal and Assam police team.
CRPF I-G Rajnish Rai, who was then in charge of the North-east Sector, had sent a report to the paramilitary force headquarters and others in April, alleging that two men had been killed in the alleged staged encounter in March.
Sources said Prasad, who is a technical advisor with the ministry, has begun the probe and will soon call for documents related to the encounter, including Rai’s report, for perusal. “He will travel to the Northeast and interrogate those involved in the encounter and take into account statements of civilian witnesses. If anything wrong is found, departmental proceedings will follow along with necessary legal action,” a Home Ministry official said.
The Indian Express first reported on May 24 that Rai had informed CRPF headquarters and other authorities that his “discreet inquiry”, backed by GPS data and interviews with those involved, had revealed that two suspected NDFB(S) cadres had been allegedly killed in the fake “encounter” in Assam’s Chirang district. Rai’s April 17 report said that the two were picked up from a house in D-Kalling village and allegedly killed in cold blood. Rai, who was on Monday transferred to Chittoor in Andhra Pradesh, had called for an investigation.
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