CRPF IG alleges fake gunfight in Assam, Home Ministry seeks clarification

New Delhi, May 24 (IANS) A CRPF Inspector General, deputed in the northeast, has alleged that the death of two suspected members of a Bodo militant group in a gunfight with security forces in Assam in March was "a staged gunfight". The Home Ministry has sought the clarification over the issue.

In his 13-page report, Rajnish Rai, a 1992-batch Gujarat cadre Indian Police Service officer, alleged that the gunfight carried out by the Assam Police, the Army, the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), its jungle warfare unit CoBRA and the Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB) on March 29-30 in Simlaguri area of Chirang district was a "fictitious account" of the operation to conceal pre-planned murders of the two National Democratic Front of Bodoland-Songbijit (NDFB-S) insurgents.

Rai, in his April 17 report, said the two insurgents were killed in custody and it was presented as some brave act of professional achievement.

A Home Ministry official said the ministry has sought a report to CRPF Director General Rajeev Rai Bhatnagar over the allegation made by the IG-rank official of the three-lakh strong force.

Bhatnagar said the police were already investigating the case.

"The IG had sent the report when my predecessor was in charge. The state police is investigating the matter. So there is no need for any other immediate action," he said.

Rai, deputy chief of the CRPF formations in the northeastern states, has said that he had conducted a "discreet" inquiry over the matter on his own.

He had also sent the report to the Assam Chief Secretary and chairperson of the Unified Command of security forces, the CRPF headquarters here, the chief of the Army's Assam-based 4 Corps and the Director General of the SSB.

Rai has identified the two killed NDFB-S insurgents as Lucas Nazary and David Islary.

The forces, the IG said, have mentioned in the FIR that the two were killed in an exchange of fire, but as multiple security forces are involved in the incident, "it is necessary to entrust the investigation of this matter to an external independent agency for an unbiased, impartial and thorough investigation".

"The security forces involved in the joint operation must truly reflect how systems and processes have weakened over a period of time, resulting in commission of such unlawful acts in a planned and coordinated manner," he said.

"It is absolutely necessary that urgent systemic reforms be initiated to prevent such wrongdoings in future," Rai said in his report.

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