Guwahati, November 6: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has urged the media not to spread what he called misleading claims about the death of Ghanakanta Gogoi in a police encounter. He maintained that the police did not kill Gogoi and claimed that the latter had fired at police personnel, forcing them to retaliate.
The Chief Minister said the media should not create the impression that the police had deliberately killed Gogoi. Referring to accused Siddhartha Sharma and Shyamkanu Mahanta, Sarma said that if either of them had carried a pistol and fired at the police, the officers would have retaliated in the same way.
“We have not killed anyone. Do not give the impression that the police killed Ghanakanta Gogoi. How could we do that?” he said.
Describing the incident as an unfortunate death, Sarma said that in a democracy, only courts have the authority to deliver justice. Neither the police nor the government can punish someone by declaring them guilty. He said the government had not delivered any justice in Gogoi’s case.
The Chief Minister added that police personnel have to take action when an accused fires at them or tries to escape. He described Gogoi as a “professional murderer” and said his conduct should have been different.
Sarma also referred to remarks by Supreme Court Justice Ujjal Bhuyan on the police having no authority to deliver instant justice. He said police personnel could face action if they attempted to take the law into their own hands.
The Chief Minister confirmed that a magisterial inquiry had already been announced into Gogoi’s death. He said such incidents are investigated and that the circumstances surrounding this death would also be examined.
He again urged the media not to portray the incident as a case of deliberate killing by the police before the inquiry establishes the facts.
