New Delhi: Two Muslim brothers were killed in Assam’s Nagaon district on Saturday, June 22, when a forest guard opened fire at them after they allegedly tried to enter the Laokhowa Wildlife Sanctuary illegally.
The deceased – Samaruddin (35) and Abdul Jalil (40) – were residents of Dhingbari Chapari village of the Nagaon district. While the police describe it as a case of a forest guard firing at them in “self-defence”, there are allegations from civil society organisations which term it a “fake encounter”.
Meanwhile, Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma directed the chief secretary to probe into the incident. “Last night, individuals from Sutripar village trespassed into Lawkhua-Burachapari Reserve Forest. During an encounter with patrolling forest guards, a guard opened fire in self-defence, resulting in the deaths of Samaruddin (35) and Abdul Jalil (40),” Sarma posted on X (formerly, Twitter). “I have directed the Chief Secretary of Assam to immediately constitute an inquiry to investigate the incident thoroughly,” he added.
According to the Indian Express, local police officials said, on the condition of anonymity, that the two men in question had entered the area around midnight for illegal fishing activity. When the forest guards spotted them, they purportedly attempted to flee the spot, forcing officials to open fire, added the local police officials.
Following the post-mortem examination of the bodies at a local hospital, the bodies were handed over to the families.
Nurul Huda, Congress MLA from Rupohihat, who visited the residence of the deceased, demanded a probe into the matter. He also said the state government should pay compensation to the affected families.
“If they had tried to escape, they should have been shot in the leg. The forest department has to answer why they killed these two poor fishermen and pay compensation to the families,” the Congress legislator said, according to the IE report.
Meanwhile, the Community Network Against Protected Areas (CNAPA), a coalition of indigenous peoples and forest-dwelling communities, issued a statement strongly condemning the “fake encounter”, maktoobmedia.com reported.
The CNAPA statement said Jaliluddin and Sameeruddin were killed on June 22 when they, along with a few other villagers, went to Rowmari Beel wetland to catch fish as part of their traditional livelihood.
“The killings in Laokhowa reflect a pattern of continuous harassment and forced displacements endured by forest communities nationwide. These communities, including those in Dhingbari Chapari village, have historically coexisted with wildlife, relying on the forest for their livelihoods and cultural practices. However, they are increasingly criminalised and displaced in the name of conservation, disrupting their lives and eroding their rights,” the statement added.
According to CNAPA, the incident in Laokhowa is “not an isolated one”. “The deaths of Jaliluddin and Sameeruddin underscore the issue of fake encounters orchestrated by the forest department across protected areas in India. Such actions not only violate human rights but also undermine trust in conservation efforts, perpetuating a cycle of fear and resistance among local communities,” the statement underlined.
