Guwahati: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has directed the police officers to take strict action against crime and criminals. According to Chief Minister Sarma, encounters “should be the pattern” if criminals try to escape from police custody. Justifying the recent shootouts in the state, he on Monday advocated zero tolerance for crimes against women, among other things.
The Chief Minister said that charge sheets should be filed in the next six months in all pending cases of murder, rape, drugs, extortion and illegal weapons in your police station. For whatever assistance is needed, contact your senior officers, DIG of the range.
Sarma said, “If an accused snatches a service revolver and tries to escape or just runs away and if he is a rapist, the law allows such people to shoot in the leg and not in the chest.”
“When someone asks me if there has been a pattern of encounters in the state, I say if the criminal tries to escape from police custody then there should be a (encounter) pattern,” he said.
Later talking to the media, he said that the police have no right to shootout. He said that crime should be fought through law in a democracy. They have done this (shootout) only when there is no other option left.”
At least 12 suspected militants and criminals have been killed in encounters in the state since May as they allegedly tried to escape from custody, while several others, including those accused of rape and animal smugglers, have been injured in encounters.
