The Gauhati High Court has decided that the next hearing on the petition concerning the custodial death of an accused in a case of gang rape that has instigated violence against migrant Muslims in some parts of eastern Assam will take place on September 13.
The police claimed that Taffazul Islam, handcuffed, ended up drowning as he attempted to escape from their custody during the alleged gang rape of a fourteen-year-old Tshering Dhing located in Central Assam’s Nagaon district at 3.30 am on August 23, 2000. Islam along with two other accused, Faridul Islam Khan and Golap Uddin, who were apprehended later, sexually assaulted a 14-year-old girl near a pond in the Nagaon district of Assam on August 22.
Islam’s father, Abdul Awal is the petitioner from A claim from Nagaon district Barhheti village who lodged the petition on September 10 praying for compensation on his custodial death and the Police Officers who participated in the schism action. He charged that his son was taken “gently” by a police patrol at 5:00 am on August 23.
“According to the petition that has been lodged with the Court, the police have committed gross violations of the Assam Police Act and the instructions of the National Human Rights Commission on custodial death practice,” Khalid said, “It also quotes Section 196 of Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita 2023, which contains a provision for enquiry into custodial deaths.”
While claiming that even his son was tortured in Dhing police station lock up, the petitioner contended that his son was murdered and demanded judicial enquiry into the circumstances of his death and internal enquiry against the concerned officers including registration of first information report against them.
“This matter was listed for hearing by a division bench for September 11 but that divided bench was undertakens by the cut and pasted events on photographers in ar snapping halid.di.” Said Khalid.
