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Major General, 2 Colonels, five others sentenced to life imprisonment for Assam fake encounter

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Major General, 2 Colonels, five others sentenced to life imprisonment for Assam fake encounter

A Summary General Court martial in Assam on Saturday, October 13, ordered the dismissal from service and life imprisonment of seven personnel, including a Major General and two Colonels, for killing five people in a fake encounter in eastern Assam’s Dangari 24 years ago.

The personnel convicted at the court martial held at the Army’s Dinjan base in eastern Assam’s are Major General AK Lal, Colonels Thomas Matthew and RS Sibiren, Captains Dilip Singh and Jagdeo Singh, and Naiks Albinder Singh and Shivender Singh.

The court martial related to the February 1994 Dangari encounter case in which five youth, — Prabin Sonowal, Pradip Dutta, Debajit Biswas, Akhil Sonowal and Bhaben Moran, all reportedly members of All Assam Student’s Union (AASU) — were killed, had concluded on July 27.

“The judgement has strengthened the people’s belief in the Indian judiciary. It has also shown that the Army too believes in delivering justice and maintaining its glory that a few officers cannot taint,” BJP leader Jagadish Bhuyan, who had initiated the case in 1994, told The Hindu.

A senior Defence official told The Hindu that the judgment was pronounced against “three officers and four JCOs and OR”. He added that a confirmation from the “competent authority” may take two-three months.

The incident

The killing of the youth came in Army action in February 1994. Following the killing of Rameshwar Singh, the general manager of the Assam Frontier Tea Limited at the Talap Tea Estate by United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) gunmen, troops of the 18 Punjab Regiment based at Dhola in Tinsukia, had picked up nine youths from their houses in Tinsukia district’s Talap area on February 17, 1994.

After receiving information about the missing men, Bhuyan, then an Asom Gana Parishad MLA, informed the Tinsukia district authorities, the chief secretary and the State’s police chief as well as the Governor by February 21.

“On February 21, the local police confirmed that the boys were being detained at the Dhola camp. Fearing for their lives, I filed a habeas corpus in the Gauhati High Court on February 22. That afternoon, Chief Justice SN Phukan and Justice AK Patnaik ordered the Army to produce the arrested youth before a magistrate,” Bhuyan recalled.

The very same day, the Army released Matheswar Moran, Gunin Hazarika, Prakash Sharma, and Manoranjan Das at different locations after receiving the court order. The soldiers reportedly took the other five in two boats to the Dibru-Saikhowa National Park after crossing the Dangari river and shot them.

The two boatmen — Moka Murah and Ratna Moran — also vanished without a trace.

Petition, CBI inquiry and Supreme Court order

“I filed a petition in the High Court on February 23 saying the troops ignored the court order and killed the boys. The CBI, which was directed to take up the case, listed seven officers and jawans as accused.

“The case went to the Supreme Court, which sought a court martial and punishment of the guilty officers,” Bhuyan said.

Soon after the petition was filed, former Tinsukia district police chief RK Singh said the post-mortem on the bodies of the five men — labelled ULFA extremists by the Army — revealed they had been brutally tortured before being shot, reported The Hindu. Their tongues were sliced, eyes gouged out and kneecaps smashed, and their bodied bore evidence of electric shocks.

Motheswar Moran, one of the survivors of the ordeal, said the five were probably killed because their bodies were not in a position to be produced before a local magistrate. “Looking back, the four of us were lucky to have been tortured less,” he said.

He said the Army had picked up the youths from the entry record of Talap Tea Estate, where they were engaged as garden suppliers.

He and the other survivors want an assurance from the government that they would not be victimised for the sentence against the Army officers and jawans.

The judgment has come at a time when more than 700 army personnel have petitioned the Supreme Court asking for all court-monitored investigations into fake encounters by the armed forces to be stayed. The first prayer of the petitioners is to protect the “bonafide” action of soldiers under the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, “so that no soldier is harassed by initiation of criminal proceedings”.

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India hits back at Shehbaz Sharif at UN, says terror will have consequences

India hit back at Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s UN speech, with New Delhi warning that terrorism will have consequences.

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India has responded to Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif’s remarks at the United Nations, delivering a strong message on terrorism and warning that such actions will have consequences.

The response came after Mr Sharif addressed the UN and raised issues concerning India and Pakistan. New Delhi rejected the narrative presented by the Pakistani prime minister and highlighted the issue of terrorism.

India’s message was delivered by Petal Gehlot, who represented New Delhi in the response to Pakistan.

India warns Pakistan over terrorism

India’s response focused on Pakistan’s record and its approach towards terrorism. New Delhi made clear that terrorism cannot be separated from its consequences and that those responsible cannot expect such actions to go unanswered.

The Indian side also pushed back against the claims and allegations made by Mr Sharif during his UN speech.

The exchange comes amid continuing tensions between India and Pakistan, with terrorism remaining a major point of disagreement between the two countries.

Shehbaz Sharif’s UN remarks

In his address, Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif spoke about India-Pakistan relations and raised several issues concerning New Delhi.

India subsequently exercised its right of reply to respond to Pakistan’s statements at the United Nations.

New Delhi’s response underlined its position that terrorism remains a serious issue in the relationship and that there would be consequences for terrorist actions.

The latest exchange at the UN adds to the continuing diplomatic confrontation between the two neighbouring countries.

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Veeramani POCSO case: Vijay questions Stalin over earlier probe

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister Vijay has questioned MK Stalin over the handling of the Veeramani POCSO case, while Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected anyone.

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Actor Vijay

Tamil Nadu Chief Minister and Tamilaga Vettri Kazhagam (TVK) president C Joseph Vijay has questioned DMK president MK Stalin over the handling of the POCSO case involving Gem Granites founder R Veeramani. The political exchange follows renewed investigation into allegations involving minor girls.

Vijay’s remarks came as the ruling TVK stepped up its questions about how the case was handled during the previous DMK government. The party’s IT wing has alleged that the earlier investigation was weakened and questioned why a final report was filed.

The allegations have been rejected by the DMK. Stalin has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to protect anyone in the case and has called the allegations false and defamatory.

What did Vijay say about the Veeramani case?

Vijay questioned Stalin over the handling of the case and demanded an explanation from the former chief minister.

The TVK has specifically questioned why action was not taken against Veeramani during the previous administration and why the earlier investigation resulted in a closure report.

The party has also raised questions about the role of officials involved in the earlier investigation. These are political allegations made by the TVK and have not been established as facts.

What is the Veeramani POCSO case?

The case concerns allegations of sexual abuse of minors involving R Veeramani, the founder of Gem Granites.

The case came under renewed scrutiny after a special POCSO court rejected an earlier closure report and ordered further investigation. The expanded probe has subsequently identified additional alleged survivors who were minors at the time of the alleged offences, according to current reporting.

The investigation is also examining the circumstances surrounding the earlier probe and whether there were any lapses in how the case was handled.

What has MK Stalin said?

Stalin has rejected allegations that the previous DMK government protected Veeramani.

He has said that no order was issued by the DMK government to shield anyone in the case. Stalin has also said that everyone responsible for the alleged offences, including anyone who aided or attempted to protect the accused, should face the law.

The DMK president has further said that the focus should remain on securing justice for the affected girls rather than making political allegations.

Why has the case become a political issue?

The Veeramani case has become the subject of a political dispute between the ruling TVK and the DMK over the handling of the earlier investigation.

The TVK is questioning the previous government’s handling of the case, while the DMK has denied that it intervened to protect the accused.

At this stage, claims about political interference or deliberate weakening of the earlier investigation should be treated as allegations unless established by the ongoing investigation or judicial proceedings.

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Women wrestlers challenge Brij Bhushan’s acquittal in sexual harassment case

Four women wrestlers have challenged the acquittal of former WFI chief Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh and co-accused Vinod Tomar in a sexual harassment case.

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Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh

Four women wrestlers have approached a Delhi court challenging the acquittal of former Wrestling Federation of India (WFI) chief and BJP leader Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh in a sexual harassment case.

The wrestlers have also challenged the acquittal of co-accused Vinod Tomar. The matter is scheduled to be heard by a Special Judge at the Rouse Avenue Courts.

The appeal challenges the order passed by an Additional Chief Judicial Magistrate on August 3, 2026, when Brij Bhushan and Tomar were acquitted in the case.

Wrestlers challenge court’s reasoning

In their appeal, the wrestlers have argued that the acquittal order is legally unsustainable and that the evidence was not assessed appropriately.

They have also alleged that the order relied on assumptions about how victims of sexual assault and harassment were expected to behave instead of assessing the evidence and circumstances of the complainants.

The challenge seeks judicial scrutiny of the findings that resulted in the acquittal of Brij Bhushan and Tomar.

Brij Bhushan was acquitted in August

The Rouse Avenue court acquitted Brij Bhushan Sharan Singh on August 3 in the sexual harassment case involving women wrestlers. The court’s decision followed consideration of the evidence and statements presented during the proceedings.

The case had emerged after several women wrestlers accused the former WFI chief of sexual harassment. The allegations had led to a major protest by wrestlers in 2023.

The latest appeal means the acquittal is now being challenged before a higher court.

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