30 years of legal battle ends, victim families of Dangri encounter get compensation

Syllad | The Rising MeghalayaAugust 1, 2024

The legal battle seeking justice to the families of the victims of the 1994 Dangri fake encounter in Tinisukia district of Assam has finally come to an end.

The Central government on Wednesday deposited Rs 20 lakh each into the bank accounts of the victims’ families, as ordered by the Gauhati High Court. This brings to an end the 30-year legal struggle started by the then AASU leader and current Assam Jatiya Parishad (AJP) general secretary Jagdish Bhuyan.

On the night of February 18, 1994, the army picked up nine innocent youths from their homes in the Dangri area of Tinsukia district and brutally killed five of them in a fake encounter. The torture was so severe that some had their eyes gouged out, others had their kneecaps shattered, and some even had their tongues cut off.

Jagdish Bhuyan, who was vice-president of the All Assam Students Union (AASU) at the time, took the matter to the Guwahati High Court and pursued justice for three decades. The court initially sentenced Army Major General AK Lal to life imprisonment, but the accused officers were later acquitted on legal grounds. However, in 2018, the Army Divisional Court court-martialed the accused officers and soldiers.

Bhuyan, who has been fighting the case in court for 30 years, described the victory as partial justice. “The charm of democracy in our country is that if you fight, you get justice one day or another,” Bhuyan said.

“I say we won partly because the Government of India paid compensation and exonerated the youths. That is our victory. But the murderous army officers got acquitted. In fact, they should not have been acquitted. That sadness remains,” Bhuyan stated.

“This struggle involves the immense sacrifices of many individuals. I leave the judgement whether we gained or lost to time. But when the forces kill, history will repeat itself, and some Jagdish Bhuyan will continue to fight for justice even after 30 years,” he added.