A man was found dead under suspicious circumstances in the Jalukbari police lock-up on Wednesday, intensifying concerns over custodial deaths in Assam. The deceased, identified as Govind Rajbanshi from Mangaldoi, was discovered in the lock-up bathroom, according to Assam Tribune reports. Rajbanshi, a known motorcycle theft perpetrator and drug user, is believed by police sources to have potentially died from a heart attack due to lack of his regular drug dose, or possible suicide. Investigations are ongoing.
This incident follows the recent life sentencing of a retired Assam Police sub-inspector by an Additional Sessions Judge (FTC) Court in Cachar for a 17-year old custodial death case in Katigorah. The frequency of custodial deaths and alleged extra-judicial killings in Assam has been under severe scrutiny.
In August, the Hmar Women Association called for a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to probe the deaths of three Hmar individuals on July 16, attributed to the Assam Police’s alleged extra-judicial actions. Prior to this, in May, widespread protests erupted following the death of a 42-year-old man outside a police outpost in Lakhimpur.
Moreover, in December 2021, advocate Arif Jwadder filed a Public Interest Litigation (PIL) against the Assam Police, claiming the rise in deaths and injuries from police shootings were staged as “fake encounters” since the BJP government came to power in May 2021. However, the Court dismissed the PIL after 18 hearings, citing the inability to issue a blanket directive.
The persistent rise in these incidents continues to evoke significant concern and calls for accountable and transparent investigations.
