The Indigenous Tribal Leaders Forum (ITLF) has issued a vehement condemnation in response to what it describes as the “cold-blooded murder” of three Hmar youths by Assam police in a fake encounter. The victims—Lallungawi Hmar, Lalbiekkung Hmar, and Joshua Lalrinsang—were allegedly killed after being taken into police custody in Cachar district on July 16, 2024.
According to the ITLF, a video shot by police clearly shows the three victims being apprehended without resistance while traveling in an autorickshaw. Subsequent videos, which have gone viral on social media, depict the youths bound with ropes and taken to a forested area. Their bullet-riddled bodies were later discovered at the Silchar Medical College Hospital (SMCH) morgue.
The police version of events is rife with inconsistencies. Cachar SP’s statement claims that the youths were arrested on July 16 at around 4:30 p.m. on Krishnapur Road. During interrogation, the police allege the youths revealed information leading to a special operation in Bhuban Hills on July 17. The police narrative states that the three were injured in a crossfire while wearing bulletproof jackets and helmets and were later pronounced dead at SMCH.
However, the ITLF points out a glaring inconsistency: the three dead militants, one of whom was photographed wearing a bulletproof vest, were the same youths already in police custody the previous evening. This discrepancy strongly suggests that the killings were extrajudicial.
The ITLF is calling for the policemen involved to be tried in court for the murder of three Indian citizens. Furthermore, the Forum has criticized Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sharma for lauding the killings on social media.
In light of the video evidence and the inconsistencies in the police account, the ITLF demands an impartial investigation by the state government and urges the National Human Rights Commission to take suo motu cognizance of the deaths and issue notices to the Assam government to open an investigation into the killings.
