After the claims of Assam authorities that two Muslim brothers were killed in “self-defence” by forest guards, the family members of the deceased have refuted the claims.
The family members say that both of them had gone out to get ‘some fresh air’.
The deceased were identified as Samaruddin, 35, and Abdul Jalil, 40, residents of Dhingbari Chapari village in Nagaon district. The duo were killed when they, along with a few other villagers went to Rowmari Beel wetland.
According to the police statement, the two brothers were attempting to enter the wildlife sanctuary without taking permission when the guard spotted them. The latter reportedly confronted them and asked them to stop, however, they refused to comply, prompting the guard to open fire in ‘self-defence’.
Jaliluddin and Sameeruddin received bullet injuries. Subsequently, hours after the incident, they were taken to Nagaon Civil Hospital by the forest department, where they were declared dead.
Family statement
However, the family members of the deceased claim that on the evening of Saturday, June 22, the brothers had left their thatches to seek some relief from the extensive heat and humidity. Maurfa Khanam, Samaruddin’s wife, says that power outages are common in their village, making it unbearable to stay indoors.
Samaruddin and Abdul Jalil went their separate ways, with Saiful joining other men near the matabari (embankment), less than 200 metres away from where some villagers fish. This was the last time Marufa saw her husband Samaruddin alive.
“My sons Samaruddin and Jaliluddin are martyrs. My heart is breaking. The mother and father are alive, but the sons have been killed,” said 80-year-old Foriban Nesa while pleading for justice, maktoobmedia.com reported.
Abdul Barek, the elder brother of the slain labourers, said that at around 12:30 am on June 22 he woke up to the sound of gunshots. He went near the fishery located opposite his house, at the roadside, and after half an hour he witnessed movements of vehicles in the area. The family members and other villagers also claimed that they heard the sound of gunshots.
The elder brother of the victims, Abdul Barek counted his ordeal and said that on a fateful day, he woke up to the sound of gunshots and rushed to the fishery located opposite his house. After half an hour he saw the movements of the vehicle in the area.
“I stayed there for nearly half an hour and did not hear anything. After half an hour, a vehicle and a motorcycle arrived. The vehicle stopped at the place where the gunshots were heard and stayed there for nearly half an hour before leaving. I remained there for an hour. After that, 8-9 vehicles arrived. I did not know whose vehicles these were, and they stopped there for one hour. By then, it was already 4 am, and all the vehicles left altogether. It was time for the Azan, so I went to the mosque,” Barak said as quoted by maktoobmedia.com.
Barek further said that when he stepped out of the mosque where he went for prayers, his neighbour informed him about the killing of his two brothers. “When I approached his house from the mosque, a police vehicle arrived and asked who the guardian was, Barek added.
As per reports, the victims had received multiple bullets in their bodies, and due to severe bullet injuries, they succumbed to death.
“When the Police asked who is the guardian of Samaruddin and Abdul Jalil, the village Panchayat President pointed at me. The police then took me and said they needed my signature, so I gave a thumb impression instead. I was then told to take off (my brother’s) shirt I noticed all the bullet wounds were on the chest, with one on the head,” Barek said.
Upon asking if the two brothers had gone for illegal poaching into the sanctuary as claimed by Nagaon Wildlife Division DFO, Marufa refuted and responded, “No, they are not poachers. Would they go unarmed for poaching? This is a lie.”
35-year-old Nilufa Khatun, the wife of Jalil Uddin said that both the brothers worked in Kerala in the plywood industry to feed the family and her husband used to send Rs 2000-5000 every month for the family.
Fake encounter
Taking note of the case, critics have condemned the act and refuted the assertion that the police. They accused the authorities of targeting them and using excessive force and alleged that it was a “fake encounter” not self-defence.
All Assam Minority Students Union, an organisation based in Assam that often raises issues related to marginalised communities, took it to the streets to protest the incident in Nagaon district.
The Adviser of the organisation, Ainuddin, described the incident as an “open killing” and demanded a judicial inquiry into the case. He also demanded the family “must be compensated” and that the officials “responsible for the killing be terminated.”
CM orders probe
Following the outrage, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma addressed the case on X-platform and wrote that he had directed the Chief Secretary to order a probe into the matter.
“Last night, individuals from Sutripar village trespassed into the Lawkhua-Burachapari Reserve Forest. During an encounter with patrolling forest guards, a guard opened fire in self-defence, resulting in the deaths of Samaruddin (35) and Abdul Jalil (40),” Sarma posted on X. “I have directed the Chief Secretary of Assam to immediately constitute an inquiry to investigate the incident thoroughly,” the CM added.
However, after a week, no further development related to the case has been reported yet despite launching an investigation.
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