Guwahati: In horrifying visuals that went viral on social media platforms two people allegedly died while nine policemen sustained injuries in violence that erupted during an eviction drive in Sipajhar circle in Assam’s Darrang district.
The police, according to reports maintained that there were no casualties during the incident.
The “anti-encroachment” drive was led by a team from the district administration accompanied by several policemen in riot gear and carrying weapons.
One video purportedly of the violence, showed a man running behind a photographer with his camera to attack him. However, chilling scenes emerge after the police beat the man with batons while the photographer jumps on his body as he lay on the ground after the charge of the police.
While sections of Twitter initially speculated that the man with a camera was a journalist, he has been identified as a photographer with the Darrang district administration who accompanied the eviction team.
In another video, police were seen open firing on an unarmed man protesting against the drive.
Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma spoke to journalists in Guwahati following the violence. He said, “Police are doing their duty. As per my information, people attacked the police with machetes, spears, and other things. Eviction has restarted [after violence] and will continue tomorrow as well.”
A similar “anti-encroachment” drive had taken place on Monday in Dholpur’s Garukhuti, where nearly 800 families were evicted to clear government land for an agricultural project. Those being evicted are predominantly Bengali-speaking Muslims, Hindustan Times reported.
