A video related to the demonstration in Assam‘s Darrang district is becoming increasingly viral on social media. In this video, a cameraman is seen jumping between the sticks of policemen on a villager. This photographer, present with the police, jumps on the chest of the villager.
Between the batons of the police, he kept kicking and punching. After leaving once, he comes again and with the same speed jumps on the chest of the villager and starts expressing his blunt displeasure at him. The photographer, identified as Bijoy Bania, was hired by the district administration to document the operation.
Late on Thursday, DGP Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta said that Bania had been arrested, and his case was handed over to the CID, while the identity of the rural protestor was not known till late in the night.
When asked what action would be taken against the policemen in the video, Assam Special DGP GP Singh said that wherever there is a violation of SOP and protocol, the police will do their job. He said that all I can say is that after watching the video we will take action against Bejoy Baniya.
A police officer claimed that the villager seen in the video had earlier attacked two policemen, one of them seriously injured, who is undergoing treatment at the Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.
Superintendent of Police Sushanta Biswa Sarma said, “Nine of our policemen were injured. Two civilians were also injured. They have been shifted to hospital. Now things are normal”.
Mr Sarma, who was present at the site of the clash, added, “We couldn’t complete the eviction because of the situation. We will assess later. We are returning as of now.”
But when questioned about the video of the local being shot and then stomped, he said, “The area is big. I was on another side. I will find out and assess the situation.”
What is the whole matter?
There was a violent clash between the common citizens and the police in Darang on Thursday. Two villagers were killed, while a total of 11 people are said to be injured due to the bullets fired to control the crowd.
Most of them are policemen, a total of 9 policemen have been injured, out of which only one is said to be critical. According to the district police officer, 800 families who were evicted by the district administration were protesting, demanding rehabilitation.
Why is the government planning eviction?
Since the formation of the Biswa government in the state, it was directed to remove illegal encroachments in the Darrang district of Assam. The government says that these 4,500 bighas of government land will be used for government agriculture projects.
About 200 families from Dhalpur, where the eviction took place on Thursday, had repugned it in the Guwahati High Court in the August end.
The government then filed an affidavit saying it was government land, and settlers had no right over it. However, the eviction was made before the applicants could file a response to the affidavit.
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