Guwahati: A special investigation team of the Assam criminal investigation department (CID) will be constituted to conduct a detailed and thorough probe into the ‘law violations by Congress leaders’ during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra at Khanapara on Tuesday.
The Assam Police on Wednesday transferred the case filed against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi and other party leaders in connection with “violation of laws during the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra” here on Tuesday, to the Assam CID (criminal investigation department) for a thorough investigation by a special investigation team (SIT) to be constituted by the additional director-general of police (ADGP) of Assam CID.
Assam DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh took to micro-blogging site, X, on Wednesday to state, “Reference to the Basistha police station case number 55/24 under Sections 120(B)/143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 of IPC, read with Section 3 of PDPP Act relating to violation of various laws during road event of Indian National Congress in Guwahati on January 23, 2024, has been transferred to CID Assam for a thorough and in-depth investigation through a SIT to be constituted by ADGP of CID Assam.
It may be noted that the Assam Police had taken suo motu action on Tuesday, registering an FIR against Rahul Gandhi and other Congress leaders involved in the yatra.
The FIR, registered under Sections 120(B)143/147/188/283/353/332/333/427 of IPC, read with Section 3 of the Prevention of Damage to Public Property Act, 1984, includes non-bailable charges such as Section 353 (assault on public servant), Section 332 (voluntarily causing hurt to deter public servant from duty), and Section 333 (voluntarily causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from duty).
The DGP had on Tuesday said that the road event was to travel from Meghalaya towards Kamrup through Guwahati.
“There are two major roads and permission was given to use one of these after deliberation with organisers and advance security liaison (ASL) was done accordingly. This was done to present least inconvenience to general road users. However, participants of the road event insisted on changing the route that would have thrown city life out of gear and also jeopardised security of a Z+ category PP who is part of the road event,” Singh said.
It may be mentioned that Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had directed state DGP Gyanendra Pratap Singh to register a case against Congress leader Rahul Gandhi after Congress leaders and workers/supporters were seen confronting the police and removing barricades that were installed by the city police at Khanapara to prevent the Yatra from moving towards GS Road on Tuesday.
The chief minister, while holding Rahul Gandhi responsible for the clash between police and the Congress leaders and members and accusing the party leader for instigating people, took to micro-blogging site, X, to state, “These are not part of Assamese culture. We are a peaceful state. Such “Naxalite tactics” are completely alien to our culture.”
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Notably, the Bharat Jodo Nyay Yatra entered its eleventh day on Wednesday, with the Congress leader along with other party leaders and members traversing places such as Barpeta town, Abhayapuri, Bongaigaon, Chalbandha, Bilasipara and Dhubri.
Taking to his X handle on Wednesday, the Assam chief minister took another dig at Rahul Gandhi, as he wrote, “Interesting…After instigating Congress workers to orchestrate violence, Rahul Gandhi (who is on a bus yatra) quietly came out of his fancy bus and fled the city (Guwahati) in a small car to Hajo, his next destination.
Also Read | Assam CID to probe Rahul Gandhi Nyay Yatra’s ‘law violations’