Bokakhat grenade blast: Two accused injured in police encounter; more arrests likely

Bokakhat, June 30: Two prime accused in the June-24 grenade blast case at Bokakhat’s Panbari were injured in a police encounter late Sunday night during a weapon recovery operation at Saphjuri in Golaghat district.

The injured have been identified as Bhavesh Kalita of Tezpur and Sanjiv Baruah of Lakhimpur, both of whom were previously arrested for their alleged involvement in the attack.

Bhavesh sustained a bullet injury to his left leg, while Sanjiv was shot in the shoulder. Both were initially rushed to Shaheed Kamala Miri Sub-Divisional Hospital in Bokakhat for first aid and later referred to Jorhat Medical College and Hospital (JMCH) for further treatment.

According to the police, the duo had earlier confessed to concealing two pistols near the blast site. On Sunday night, they were taken to the Saphjuri area under tight security to recover the hidden weapons.

However, during the operation, the two men allegedly retrieved the pistols and opened fire on the escorting team, prompting police to retaliate. The police recovered two pistols from the site.

The encounter follows a series of arrests linked to the June-24 grenade attack at the 11th Battalion Assam Police camp in Panbari, under Golaghat district.

The blast, which occurred around 8:20 pm, injured three police personnel and caused panic among residents. Two unidentified men on a motorcycle reportedly threw the grenade before fleeing the scene.

Subsequent investigations led to the arrest of six individuals so far, including key accused Ankur Das, who was held during a midnight operation in Dergaon on June 28.

Others arrested among the six include Rupjyoti Das and Ankur’s brothers—Pankaj Das and Kaku Das. All six are suspected to have played various roles in orchestrating the attack.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, while briefing the media on June 28, had confirmed the arrests and stated that a wider conspiracy had been unearthed.

“These are not organised militants—one of them is an ex-ULFA cadre, others are linked to petty crime and drug peddling. We’ve recovered all remaining grenades and a pistol,” the Chief Minister had said.

The police investigation is ongoing, with authorities not ruling out more arrests in the coming days.

The latest incident also casts renewed light on the rise in police encounters across Assam.

In May, the Supreme Court had tasked the Assam Human Rights Commission (AHRC) with conducting an independent probe into allegations of fake encounters in the state.

The Court instructed the AHRC to issue a public notice for affected individuals to come forward, assuring confidentiality and a sensitive approach.

The directive followed a petition citing 171 alleged fake encounters in Assam between May 2021 and August 2022.