Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has defended the police action in the encounter involving Ghanakanta Gogoi, stating that the accused was not killed by the police but died after allegedly opening fire on law enforcement personnel, who then retaliated.
Speaking on the incident, Sarma described the death as both unfortunate and tragic, while maintaining that responsibility for the incident should not be placed on the police.
“Do not blame the police for it. It is an unfortunate incident. He fired at the police and the police fired back,” the Chief Minister said.
Sarma stated that police personnel are required to act when an accused attempts to escape or attacks security forces. He also described Gogoi as a professional killer and said his conduct during the operation should have been different.
Clarifying the government’s stand, the Chief Minister said the state government had not issued any official statement or social media post claiming that justice had been delivered through the encounter.
“We have not given justice to anything. This is an unfortunate death,” Sarma said.
He further stressed that the authority to determine guilt and deliver justice rests with the courts and not with the police. According to the Chief Minister, the encounter should not be interpreted as a deliberate act of police killing but as a consequence of the circumstances that unfolded during the operation.
His remarks come amid continuing discussions and public debate over the circumstances surrounding Gogoi’s death during the police encounter.