A friend of Debarshi Bharali on Tuesday demanded that Ghankanta Gogoi be killed in an encounter, and said that if legal provisions prevented such action, the accused should be handed over to the public.
The friend urged Assam Police to ensure punishment that would serve as an example and deter others from committing similar crimes. The friend said there was growing fearlessness towards police, the administration and the law.
Questions were also raised over the police role, including the response at around 9 pm in Guwahati. The friend said the police must ensure that no similar incident occurs again.
The friend alleged that the accused had obtained a gun licence despite not being a major businessman, and sought a major investigation into how the licence was issued, including whether it was from Nagaland. These allegations could not be independently verified from the video.
The friend further alleged that a hotel owner had been killed after raising questions over unpaid rent and water bills. The video did not provide further details of the alleged incident or identify the police action taken.
The friend said Bharali’s family was considering taking five people to Barpeta, adding that only two children were presently at the house. It was not clear from the video who the five people were or when they would be moved.
