Assam Police form special team to probe Nov 24 clash

Guwahati, Dec 7 (UNI) After coming under scathing attack from the Assam government for failing to check clashes here on November 24, police have launched an investigation to book the culprits.

A judicial enquiry was already on and the state government had even recommended a CBI probe, but police were also doing its bit to ensure that such incidents did not recur.

Police had already been blamed to an extent for the violence that day when adivasi protestors and locals clashed in the Beltola area of the city leaving one dead and 250 injured.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi had admitted that police lapses had let the situation worsen, and several mid-level police officers had been transferred and one suspended for the incident.

Police had also instituted its own probe to prod any premeditated conspiracy behind the clashes, informed Deputy Inspector General of Police (Central-West) G P Singh, saying the investigation had already started under Jitmol Doley.

Police had already set in motion its team to investigate the clashes, but now with the special investigation team, the probe would be in a more organised manner, he added.

Mr Singh said the special investigation team would carry out a purely criminal investigation as per the Indian Penal Code and the Criminal Procedure Code and would function independently of the judicial enquiry, instituted by the state government.

He, however, stated that police would submit its inputs to the CBI if the latter took up the investigation as had been recommended by the state government, and said, " Otherwise we will continue with our probe and frame charges. " The senior police officer said the investigation would primarily be to prove charges of murder, rape and stripping of a woman during the incident.

Of course, the investigation would also look into whether the clashes were instigated by any section, and if so, the culprits would be booked, he added.

Though no timeframe had been set, the investigation team was likely to submit its report within 90 days, Mr Singh said.

UNI