AHRC registers suo moto case on Assam killings

Assam Human Rights Commission today said it has registered a suo moto case related to the violence in Bodoland Territorial Administration (BTAD) areas that left 32 people dead.

In an official statement, AHRC said it would also issue a notice to the state government seeking an inquiry into the killings that started on Thursday night.

"The Assam Human Rights Commission registered a suo moto case (No 1035/11/14-15) taking cognizance of the news of the violence, which has erupted in the BTAD of Assam in various villages in the districts of Kokrajhar, Baksa and Chirang," the statement said.

A single bench of AHRC member Tarun Phookan directed issuance of notice to the government of Assam through its Chief Secretary to initiate an inquiry by a high-level committee into the "genocidal and related violence", it said.

The committee has been asked to submit the report within 45 days.

"There has been large-scale violation of human rights due to the seemingly ethnic massacre curtailing and demolishing the enshrined fundamental rights to life and liberty of the affected people as laid down under Article 21 of the Indian Constitution," it added.

AHRC said "negligence" on the part of Assam government, besides its "lack of foresightedness" have been alleged by a number of political parties and organisations of the civil society.