Zubeen death: Assam police use force as protesters clash outside Baksa jail
Violence broke out in Assam’s Baksa district as protesters attacked a convoy carrying five accused in the Zubeen Garg death case. Police resorted to lathi-charge and teargas to control the mob, which set vehicles ablaze and injured several people.
Guwahati: Assam Police on Wednesday resorted to lathi-charge and fired teargas shells to disperse an agitated mob that attacked and set ablaze some vehicles and hurled stones at the convoy carrying the five accused arrested in cultural icon Zubeen Garg‘s death case as they were being brought to Baksa District Jail, police said.
Prohibitory orders have been imposed under Section 163 of BNSS in Mushalpur town and adjoining areas of the jail, while internet and mobile data services have been suspended in the entire Baksa district till further orders, District Commissioner Gautam Das said.
Several people, including police personnel, journalists and local residents were injured and glass panes of vehicles were smashed, a senior officer said.
A large number of protesters gathered outside the prison in Mushalpur area, and as the convoy of vehicles carrying the accused for being lodged in the prison arrived, they started pelting the vehicles with stones, he said.
Some even demanded that the accused be handed over to the public to ensure “justice for Zubeen”.
Although the convoy managed to enter the jail premises, the protesters scuffled with the policemen deployed at the gates as they attempted to breach the cordon, the officer said.
Despite the requests of the policemen to the protesters to move back, they kept pressing forward, following which the law enforcers resorted to lathi-charge to control the situation, he said.
The situation, however, turned worse after a while, with the protesters setting ablaze some vehicles, including those belonging to the police department and television channels, with the law enforcers firing tear gas shells to bring the situation under control.
IGP (Law and Order) Akhilesh Singh, who rushed to the spot, said that “minimum force was used to bring the situation under control”.
Asked about the number of people who have suffered injuries, Singh said, “Our immediate priority was to bring the law and order situation under control. It is now under control and we will do the documentation part after this.”
Several vehicles have been set ablaze, government property damaged and a number of people injured and so “an inquiry will be conducted into the matter”.
“Certain anti-social elements may have instigated the incident and we will conduct a thorough inquiry into it,” the IGP said.
He appealed to the people to maintain peace and “not take law into their hands”.
“We all want justice for Zubeen Garg, but there is a certain procedure to be followed,” he said.
Singh said that additional forces have been deployed in the area.
Though there was adequate deployment of forces and barricades were set up around the jail, the situation suddenly worsened, he said.
Baksa District Commissioner Gautam Das said that according to the prohibitory orders, assembly of five or more persons in places within 500 metres periphery of the jail, carrying of lethal weapons or firearms in public places, including sticks, spears, swords and others, will not be allowed.
Public rallies, processions, demonstrations, strikes, hunger strikes, dharnas or shouting of slogans within 500 metres of the jail along with throwing of stones, bursting of crackers or other inflammable materials on streets will also be prohibited.
Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political Department) Ajay Tewari, in an order, stated that due to serious law and order situation in Baksa district, the state government apprehends that social media and internet may be used to further spread inflammatory messages, rumours, which may lead to further aggravation of the situation.
“Therefore, to prevent any deterioration in the situation, internet/mobile data service of all mobile service providers in the entire Baksa district will be prohibited,” the order stated.
The order, however, clarified that voice calls and the broadband connectivity based on fixed telephone lines shall remain functional during this period.
Both the orders will come into force with immediate effect and will remain so until further orders.
Earlier in the day, North East India Festival (NEIF) chief organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta, the singer’s manager Siddhartha Sharma, his cousin and police officer Sandipan Garg and his personal security officers Nandeswar Bora and Prabin Baishya were remanded to judicial custody by the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate after their police remand ended.
The court, expressing concern for their safety, also ruled that they should be sent to a jail where there were less prisoners.
Accordingly, the authorities decided to shift all five to Baksa Jail at Mushalpur, which was inaugurated two months ago and there are still no prisoners there, an official said.
Assam’s cultural icon, Zubeen Garg, died in Singapore while swimming in the sea on September 19.
