Assam fake encounter: Seven personnel including a Major General awarded life imprisonment in a 24-year-old case

In a 24-year-old fake encounter case, seven personnel including a Major General was convicted and awarded life imprisonment by a Summary General Court Martial (SGCM) of the Indian Army.

According to the sources in Dibrugarh Indian Army unit, Major General A.K.Lal, Colonel Thomas Mathew, Colonel R.S. Sibiren, Captain Dilip Singh, Captain Jagdeo Singh, Naik Albindar Singh and Naik Shivendar have been given life imprisonment for their role in a fake encounter case that had happened in Assam’s Tinsukia district in 1994.

As former Assam Minister and BJP leader Jagadish Bhuyan said, on February 1994, the Army picked up none youths from different areas of Tinsukia district on suspicion that they were indulged in the killing of a top tea garden executive.

After a few days of picking them up, five of the youths were killed by the soldiers branding them as ULFA militants and other four were released.

After Bhuyan had filed a Habeas Corpus petition in the Gauhati High Court on February 22 the same year, demanding the whereabouts of the youths, the High Court ordered the Indian army to produce the nine AASU (All Assam Student Union) leaders at the nearest police station. The Army came up with five bodies and presented at the Dholla Police Station.
After the court martial process completed on July 27, the quantum of punishment was announced on Saturday.

Reacting on the judgment, Bhuyan said “I strongly believe in our judicial system, democracy and discipline and neutrality of the Indian Army”.

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