Sajjak Alam, an undertrial prisoner, was killed in a police encounter in Goalpokhar, North Dinajpur, West Bengal. His death has led to a legal case, which was filed in the Calcutta High Court on Monday. A division bench, led by Chief Justice TS Sivagnanam and Justice Hiranmoy Bhattacharya, has agreed to register the case and is now looking into the matter.
Alam, a resident of Chhotosohar village under Karandighi police station, was involved in a murder case and was taken to court on January 15. On his return from court, Sajjak allegedly opened fire on the policemen, injuring two officers. During the chaos, he managed to escape the court premises. On January 18, Sajjak was killed in a police encounter near the Bangladesh border in Chopra.
Police said that Sajjak attempted to escape towards Bangladesh and opened fire when intercepted near the Chopra border. Authorities claim they retaliated, resulting in a fatal exchange of gunfire.
Sajjak was hit by three bullets during the encounter—one in his left shoulder, one in his back, and one in his leg. He was rushed to a nearby hospital in critical condition but succumbed to his injuries at 8:05 am on January 18.
The incident has sparked concern, with lawyer Tapas Bhanja filing a case in the Calcutta High Court over the police encounter. Human rights organization APDR has condemned the police’s actions.
Ranjit Sur, General Secretary of APDR, criticized the remarks made by the Director General of Police (DGP) Rajeev Kumar, who recently stated, “If anyone fires a bullet at a policeman, we will fire four shots.” Sur termed the DGP’s comments as “objectionable, illegal, and unconstitutional,” adiing that a police chief should not make such statements. He also noted the Chief Minister’s failure to publicly condemn the DGP’s remarks.
Sur further argued that the encounter on January 18 was a staged event, labelling it a “fake encounter” orchestrated with premeditated intent. He emphasized that Alam’s death was not an unfortunate consequence of a legitimate operation but a planned execution.
