Another ‘encounter’ in Assam, why a case in Supreme Court remains stuck

In Assam, a recent "encounter" involving the police has raised questions about the legitimacy of such incidents. In May 2025, the Supreme Court directed the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) to investigate allegations of 171 fake police encounters in the state between May 2021 and August 2022. The primary reason for the lack of progress in the investigation is the vacancy of two positions at the AHRC, according to officials.

The Court emphasized that the victims and their families should be given a fair opportunity to participate in the proceedings by providing a public notice inviting aggrieved individuals to come forward and furnish relevant information or evidence. However, it appears that these public notices have not been published as of the past year.

Advocates for the victims argue that the AHRC lacks the necessary staff to conduct a thorough investigation. The Assam Chief Minister defended the police's actions, stating that police officers are trained to shoot at the legs of alleged criminals rather than their chests. Despite these explanations, the issue of uninvestigated "encounters" continues to remain unresolved.