Supreme Court Expresses Concern Over 171 Assam Police Encounters

The Supreme Court on Tuesday called the issue of 171 police encounters in Assam between May 2021 and August 2022 “very serious” and sought detailed information, including the investigation status. A bench of Justices Surya Kant and Ujjal Bhuyan criticized the Gauhati High Court’s January 2023 dismissal of a PIL on the matter. The court emphasized the need for compliance with its 2014 guidelines on encounter cases and urged human rights bodies to actively investigate complaints. The matter has been adjourned until October 22 for further proceedings.