Guwahati: The National Human Rights Commission (NHRC) has acknowledged receipt of a complaint filed by Assam’s Leader of Opposition, Debabrata Saikia, concerning alleged police excesses during the “Justice for Zubeen Garg” protest in Baksa district on October 15. The complaint has been officially registered under Diary No. 24619/IN/2025.
According to details shared by the NHRC, the incident took place near Baksa District Jail in Mushalpur, where demonstrators had assembled demanding justice for late singer Zubeen Garg. Saikia’s complaint alleges that police personnel resorted to lathi-charges, tear gas shelling, and even live firing against protestors — reportedly without prior public warning — causing injuries to several civilians and journalists.
The opposition leader raised serious concerns over the lack of a magisterial or judicial inquiry into the incident. Citing provisions under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, Saikia stated that the police action appeared to have violated Sections 148 to 151, which mandate prior warnings, minimal use of force, and magistrate authorisation before any armed intervention.
He further highlighted Section 196 of the BNSS, which requires a magisterial inquiry in cases involving deaths or serious injuries due to police action, pointing out that no such process has been initiated. The complaint also noted violations of BNSS Section 105 and NHRC guidelines (2012 and 2016), which stipulate proper videography and documentation of crowd-control operations.
The NHRC has categorised the case under “inaction by the State Government/Central Government officials” and has listed several victims from Baksa, including Dipak Medhi, Harihar Das, Nakul Talukdar, and Dilip Boro.
Saikia urged the Commission to conduct an independent inquiry to determine whether the state administration had properly assessed the situation, issued lawful directives, and complied with established norms governing the use of force during public protests.
The NHRC is expected to review the complaint and may seek a detailed report from the Assam Government on the circumstances surrounding the police action and the alleged human rights violations.
