4 Killed in Police Action, Situation Under Control: Assam DGP

Demonstrators burn tyres during a strike in protest against the Citizenship Amendment Bill in Guwahati, Assam.

(Photo: PTI) 

Assam DGP Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, addressing a press conference on Tuesday, 17 December, said that four people were killed and 26 were injured in police action on those protesting the amended Citizenship Act in the state.

“In police action four people have got killed, unfortunately. Some of them were very young, and maybe they just were a part of the protests and they were doing a very small act of defying curfew, indulging in very little protest... (sic.)”

Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, Director General of Police, Assam

“But then situation has become such that police had to resort to fire in order to save more people and property etc,” he added.

He added that 3,000 people were detained, but have mostly been let go. Out of the 190 protesters who were arrested, cases against 136 have been registered so far.

“These are not normal democratic protesters. These are people who indulge in violence, and perpetration of hooliganism,” he said.

Mahanta insisted that the arrested included some major leaders from various organisations and miscreants with malafide intentions who hijacked peaceful protests.

The police is investigating these cases and the guilty will not be spared, he said.

When asked whether any cases were registered against Congress leaders, he said, “Maybe, yes.”

He added that the situation was “pretty much under control”.

Protests against the Citizenship (Amendment) Act and the police crackdown on Jamia university raged across the nation on Monday, with reports of clashes between protesters and police, arrests, detentions and curfews coming in from various places.

At least 354 people were arrested across West Bengal and 21 were arrested in connection with the clashes at Aligarh Muslim University. The SC, on Tuesday, will hear a batch of petitions against police action in Jamia.