Gaurav Gogoi blames police, Home dept for failure to anticipate Baksa unrest

Guwahati, Oct 16: Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) President and Lok Sabha MP Gaurav Gogoi blamed both the police and the Home Department for failing to anticipate the unrest that played out outside Baksa District Jail on Wednesday.

“The law enforcement machinery had a responsibility to assess the situation and take preventive measures. Their failure has contributed to what we witnessed today,” Gogoi said.

Calling upon all stakeholders to act responsibly and allow the law to take its course, Gogoi stressed on the need for a “thorough and impartial investigation” into his death.

“Justice can only be achieved through the legal process. Taking the law into one’s own hands will not serve that cause,” he said, appealing to citizens to remain calm and patient during this sensitive time.

Expressing concern over reports of journalists sustaining serious injuries while covering the incident, he condemned the torching of a regional media house vehicle.

Calling the attacks on media personnel as “completely unacceptable”, the Jorhat MP urged authorities to ensure their safety and also urged the people to uphold peace.

Earlier on Wednesday, violent protests broke out outside the Baksa District Jail after the five accused in the Zubeen Garg death case were brought to the facility under heavy police escort.

In the wake of escalating tension, the district administration imposed prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) to prevent further unrest.

The situation turned volatile when an agitated crowd gathered outside the Baksa district jail premises, demanding that two of the accused, festival organiser Shyamkanu Mahanta and Zubeen Garg's manager Siddharth Sharma, be presented before the public.

The mob resorted to stone-pelting, injuring a female police officer and damaging several vehicles in the police convoy. Security forces resorted to the use of batons to disperse the protesters, and multiple individuals were detained for unlawful assembly.

District Magistrate Gautam Das promptly issued an order restricting all forms of public gatherings, rallies, demonstrations, and processions within a 500-metre radius of the Baksa jail.

The directive cites apprehensions of "breach of public peace and tranquillity owing to an unrest situation observed near the District Jail, Nikashi, Baksa", and warns that any violation will invite strict legal action under the relevant provisions of law.

The authorities had confirmed that the court directed Mahanta and Sharma to be lodged in Baksa District Jail instead of the Guwahati Central Jail, citing security concerns and the need for enhanced surveillance.

IANS