KILLING OF FIVE YOUTHS: Gauhati High Court orders Centre to pay compensation to next of kin

STAFF REPORTER

GUWAHATI: After 29 years, the Gauhati High Court ordered the Central Government to pay Rs 20 lakh each as compensation within two months to the next of kin of five youths who had been killed by the Army at Dangari in the Tinsukia district in 1994. The army had claimed that the five killed youths were ULFA militants.

The High Court issued its order after hearing the habeas corpus petition filed by the then AASU (All Assam Students’ Union) leader Jagadish Bhuyan and Dipak Dutta, a family member of one of the five victims. The five deceased were Prabin Sonowal, Akhil Sonowal, Debijit Biswas, Bhaben Moran, and Pradip Dutta.

The High Court ordered the Tinsukia District Judge to ascertain the next of kin of the five deceased youths.

Speaking to The Sentinel, Dipak Dutta said, “The army picked up nine youths between February 17 and 19, 1994, after the assassination of the general manager of a tea garden in the Talap area of the Tinsukia district. They kept the five youths in their camp at Dhola in the Tinsukia district. Then I filed a habeas corpus in the Gauhati High Court. The army released four of the youths, and handed over the bodies of five others to the police. The bodies bore injury marks.”

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