The Guwahati High Court sought an explanation from the Assam state government and asked to submit an updated report in connection with the demolition of the homes of five Muslims in Nagaon who were accused of setting a police station on fire.
While hearing a PIL representing the affected families, Justice Kaushik Goswami asked the Assam government to submit the final draft of the inquiry report on the case which was being investigated by an already-appointed committee.
When the government counsel requested four weeks to file an updated status report the court accepted the prayer.
The series of incidents which led to the current intervention of the court could be traced back to May 2022.
On May 20, 2022, Safiqul Islam, a 39-year-old who sold fish roe to make a living, was arrested by the police while he was on his way to Sivsagar district on business. The police allegedly demanded Rs 10,000 and a duck from his family as a bribe to release him.
Islam was found dead the next morning. Alleging that he died in police custody, an angry crowd, set fire to the nearby Batadrava police station in Nagaon district, where Islam had been held.
This story was originally published in maktoobmedia.com. Read the full story here .