Assam Police Fires at Drug Dealers' Gang, Leading to One Death

GUWAHATI: One member of a gang suspected of peddling narcotic drugs was killed in police firing in Tinsukia district of Assam on Sunday.

The incident reportedly took place at the Tongona Sengapathar area in Tinsukia, when police officials opened fire on a gang allegedly after being subjected to stone pelting at their hands.

Police stated that stones were pelted at them by the gang of suspected drug peddlers during a raid, after which they fired back in self- defense and one of the gang members was shot. The shot gang member later died.

A police official said that a police team raided a house in Tongona village after receiving a tip-off about four suspected drug dealers were meeting there for a deal. However, the gang started throwing stones on seeing the police party.

The police team is said to have fired at the legs of the person whom they suspected to have been involved in dealing drugs, hitting him.

The police then took the shot man to the hospital. However, he succumbed to his injuries at the hospital due to excessive blood loss, he added.

Even as the person who sustained bullet injuries died at the hospital, the three other people in the alleged gang were taken into custody by the police.

Incidents of criminals, especially drug peddlers in the state, dying after being fired upon by the police have increased dramatically after a war on drugs was declared by the present chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma soon after he assumed office. CM Sarma had directed the Assam Police not to show mercy to the drug dealers and to shoot them down if they attempted to escape.

Indeed, a number of drug peddlers allegedly tried to escape when they were taken by the police for drugs recovery or during further investigation, especially at night, and they were shot and killed. Many had also been hospitalized and then thrown into prison.

Also read: Radio4Child : UNICEF's Latest Initiative in Northeast India

Also watch: