Two persons, accused of various crimes, were killed in police firing while allegedly trying to escape custody in Assam’s Cachar district, a senior officer said on Sunday.
One of the two, Kamrul Islam, featured in the list of ‘most-wanted persons’ in the district for his purported involvement in several extortion, kidnapping, dacoity and vehicle-lifting cases, Cachar Superintendent of Police Ramandeep Kaur said.
The other, Amrul Hussain, was also wanted in dacoity cases, she stated.
At least 54 people have been killed and 139 injured in police action while allegedly trying to flee custody or for attacking police personnel since the BJP government, led by Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, assumed office in May 2021.
According to the SP, the two, after being shot, were initially taken to Kalain primary health centre, and administered first aid.
They were later shifted to Silchar Medical College and Hospital, where doctors declared them “brought dead”, she said.
Police sources said that the condition Islam and Hussain had deteriorated on way to the Silchar hospital.
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Explaining the sequence of events, Kaur said that a team from Silchar sadar police station had been on the hunt for a person wanted in a land dispute case.
“The team managed to nab the accused from a vehicle in Jorabat area. Two others, including a criminal wanted in multiple cases, were also apprehended from the same vehicle,” she said.
All three of them were being brought to Silchar in two vehicles by the police team on Saturday night, when Islam and Hussain tried to flee custody, taking advantage of darkness, Kaur explained.
The Silchar police station officer in-charge, who was accompanying the duo, and the other policemen chased them down, and had to resort to firing to stop them, the SP stated.
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“Due to heavy traffic on the road, the vehicle with the accused in the land dispute case fell behind. The other vehicle, too, was moving at a slow pace, but the two criminals in that police van tried to escape, prompting the police to take action,” she added.
