Assam Police

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Assam Police
Assam Police badge.png
Assam Police badge
Common nameAssam Police
AbbreviationAP
Mottoজনহিতজনসেৱাৰ্থে JONOHIT JONXEWARTHE ( Always at your service)
Agency overview
Formed1826
Employees0
Annual budget5,833 crore (US$700 million) (2019-20 est.) [1]
Jurisdictional structure
Operations jurisdiction Assam, IN
IN-AS.svg
Assam Police jurisdictional area
Size78438 km2
Population31,205,576
Legal jurisdictionState of Assam
General nature
Operational structure
Overseen by Government of Assam
HeadquartersOffice of the Director General of Police, Ulubari, Guwahati - 781007
Elected officer responsible
Agency executive
Parent agencyHome Department, Govt of Assam

The Assam Police is the law enforcement agency for the state of Assam in India. A regular police force was initiated in Assam by the British after the Treaty of Yandaboo to maintain the law and order. [2] It functions under the Department of Home Affairs, Assam. The headquarters of Assam Police is situated at Ulubari in the state capital Guwahati.

Contents

Organizational structure

Assam Police comes under direct control of Department of Home Affairs, Government of Assam. The Assam Police is headed by a Director General of Police (DGP). The current DGP of the Assam Police is G.P. Singh, IPS

Assam state police force also maintains its own Reserve Armed police force (special armed police and armed police) which is responsible for emergencies and crowd control issues. They are generally activated only on orders from the rank of DIG and higher-level authorities. The armed constabulary do not usually come into contact with the general public unless they are assigned to VIP duty, counter-insurgency operations, riot control or to maintain law and order during fairs, festivals, athletic events, elections, and natural disasters. They may also be sent to quell outbreaks of student or labour unrest, organised crime, to maintain guard posts and to participate in anti-terrorist operations. Depending on the type of assignment, the Armed Police force may carry lathis or lethal weapons.

Assam Police also have an elite commando group known as the "Black Panthers" equipped with modern weapons and technology for anti-terrorist operations and VVIP protection.

Branches

With the growth and development of the police administration in the post-colonial era, a number of new branches were established to meet the increasing demands of law and order. Some of these branches are:

  1. Bureau of Investigation (Economic Offenses)
  2. Special Branch
  3. Criminal Investigation Department
  4. Assam Police Border Organization
  5. Assam Police Radio Organization
  6. Assam River Police Organization
  7. Directorate of Forensic Science. Assam
  8. Assam Village Defense Organization.
  9. Fire & Emergency Services, Assam
  10. State Disaster Response Force, Assam
  11. Assam Police Highway Patrol Unit, (to be Introduced) [3]

The Assam Police has grown from strength to strength during the last two decade. In 1980 it had a force of 40,290 and at the end of the 20th century its numerical strength stands at 60,721. [4]

Battalion and Reserved Forces

Assam Police Battalion (APBN)

Assam Police Battalion personnels are engaged in the onerous task of helping the district police in maintaining Law and Order, besides guarding the vital installations round the clock, including Counter Insurgency, Riot control . They are also engaged in other static security duties.

YearBatallionHeadquartersDistrictNotes
19481st APBNLigripukhuri Sivasagar Engaged in manning 11 Border outpost
19522nd APBN Makum Tinsukia Engaged in Law and Order duties besides manning 4 Border outpost
19573rd APBN Titabor Jorhat Engaged in Law and Order duties besides manning 6 Border outpost
19624th APBN Kahilipara Kamrup Engaged in Law and Order duties besides manning 4 Border outpost
19645th APBNSontilla North Cachar Hills Engaged in Law and Order duties
19656th APBNKathal Cachar Engaged in Law and Order duties besides manning 6 Border outpost
19867th APBNChoraikhola Kokrajhar Engaged in Law and Order duties
19668th APBN Abhayapuri Bongaigaon Engaged in the guarding of vital installations and Law and Order duties
19709th APBNBarhampur Nagaon Engaged in manning 6 Border outpost, important railway bridges, other security and Law and Order duties
197310th APBN Kahilipara Kamrup Engaged in important security duties
197811th APBN Dergaon Golaghat Engaged in important security and Law and Order duties besides manning 7 Border outpost
198012th APBN Jamugurihat Sonitpur Engaged in manning 2 Border outpost, guarding vital installations and other Law and Order duties
198713th APBNLilabari North Lakhimpur Engaged in Law and Order duties besides manning 4 Border outpost
198714th APBNDualasal Nalbari Engaged in Law and Order duties besides besides guarding vital installations


Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBN)

The raising of CPMF can only meet the regular and increasing demand of the state. It was decided to augment the strengths of the state governments. It is in this context that I.R. Battalions were raised in Assam with the assistance of the central government. The central government however reserves the first right to call on these battalions as and when required for deployment outside the state. The personnel of the battalion are engaged in both operational as well as law and order duties.

YearBatallionHeadquartersDistrict
199415th AP IRBNEraligool Karimganj
199416th AP IRBNBormonipur Morigaon
200119th AP IRBNTengakhat Dibrugarh
200120th AP IRBNPanbari Dhubri
200621th AP IRBNKatlicherra Hailakandi
200622th AP IRBNLikabali Dhemaji
200823th AP IRBNSiloni Karbi Anglong
200924th AP IRBNEraligool Karimganj
200925th AP (ONGC) IRBN Charaimari Baksa


Assam Police Task Force (APTF)

APTF Battalion was raised as a speciality peace keeping force to tackle the instances of communal and group violence. The personnel of this force were posted in vulnerable areas and minority pockets, so that any sign of communal disharmony could be quickly countered and prevented from flaring up into a major communal violence. This force has functioned effectively as an emergency task force.

YearBatallionHeadquartersDistrict
19841st APTF BattalionDakurvita Goalpara
19842nd APTF Battalion Lumding Hojai
19843rd APTF BattalionKhajuabeel Udalguri
19854th APTF Battalion Howly Barpeta


Commando Battalion [5]

YearUnitHeadquartersDistrictNotes
1996Black Panthers CommandoMandakata North Guwahati Specially trained commando Battalion to deal with Counterinsurgency operations
2012Veerangana Commando Kahilipara Guwahati Specialised women commando battalion engaged to tackle crime against women


State Disaster Response Force

State Disaster Response Force or SDRF ASSAM is a Specialised force of Assam Police raised with the objective of carrying out relief and rescue operations in a quick and effective manner during any natural and man-made disaster.

There are 05 Companies of SDRF Battalion In Different Parts of Assam.

YearUnitHeadquartersDistrictNotes
20111st Company SDRF BattalionLilabari North Lakhimpur Formed out of 13th AP(Bn)
20112nd Company SDRF BattalionKathal Cachar Formed out of 6th AP(Bn)
20113rd Company SDRF BattalionSila North Guwahati
20204th Company SDRF Battalion Abhayapuri Bongaigaon
20205th Company SDRF Battalion Dergaon Golaghat

Medals and awards

Officers of Assam Police got many awards and medals for their outstanding and meritorious service. Many officers and men of the Assam Police, laid down their lives in the fight against extremism since 1986.

Kirti Chakra

YearRankNameNotes
2013 Inspector Lohit Sonowal Posthumously awarded for eliminating Two ULFA militants in Tinsukia [6]
2016 Constable Gautam KochPosthumously awarded for eliminating militants in Dhansiri Outpost [7]

Shaurya Chakra

YearRankNameNotes
2007 Superintendent of Police Pankaj SharmaEliminated NSCN militants from Assam-Nagaland Border in 2004 [8]

Jeevan Raksha Padak

YearRankNameNotes
2024 Officer-in-Charge Samarjit BasumataryCivilian rescue from Longai River, Karimganj

List of receivers for 2011 President's Police Medal for Gallantry:

Police Medal for gallantry on republic day 2017.

Equipment and Vehicles

All the equipment for the Assam Police are manufactured indigenously by the Indian Ordnance Factories, Ministry of Defence, Government of India.

Vehicles

Vehicles Used for General Duty purpose.

Controversies

There are many allegations and court cases of police brutality, custodial death, human rights violations, fake encounter killing, extortion, filling fake cases to harass the general public, corruption filed against the Assam Police. Because of the corrupt politicians the police have always complained not being able to function properly. Different organizations and their open extortion are known to the public and the police also have been alleged to have a fair share on those. Another main acquisition of Assam police in the present is that they are the friends of thieves, kidnappers and murderers rather than the public and it is said that the police has a better share in those crime money. Corruption of the organization is at peak with people fearing to go to the police against a crime as they need to pay money to file an FIR or take actions. There have also been reported human rights abuses against the Naga people, which has incited and increased Naga nationalism.

2021 Assam Police Fake Encounters

Starting May 2021 several fake police encounters took place. [9] National Human Rights Commission has been approached with human rights violation in the alleged fake encounters. [10] On 21 December a Public Interest Litigation petition has been filed by Arif Jwadder before the Gauhati High Court demanding independent investigation over the fake encounters killings. [11] Till date 51 deaths and 139 injuries have occurred till date. [12]

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References

  1. "Assam Budget Analysis 2019-20" (PDF). prsindia.org. 2019. Archived from the original (PDF) on 28 August 2019. Retrieved 22 February 2020.
  2. "History of Assam Police". Assam Police. 6 July 2017. Archived from the original on 27 June 2019. Retrieved 6 July 2017.
  3. "Business News Today: Read Latest Business news, India Business News Live, Share Market & Economy News".
  4. Assam Police - History
  5. Assam Police Commando Battalion
  6. "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  7. "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  8. "Gallantry Awards | Ministry of Defence, Government of India". www.gallantryawards.gov.in. Retrieved 27 August 2024.
  9. "Assam police on 'encounter spree', NHRC told". The Hindu. 11 July 2021. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  10. Quint, The (12 July 2021). "'Assam Police on Encounter Spree': Delhi-Based Lawyer Approaches NHRC". TheQuint. Retrieved 13 December 2021.
  11. Scroll Staff. "Lawyer moves Gauhati High Court seeking independent probe into deaths in Assam's alleged encounters". Scroll.in. Retrieved 22 December 2021.
  12. Bureau, The Hindu (29 July 2022). "Gauhati High Court asks Assam to file updated probe report encounter cases since May 2021". The Hindu. ISSN   0971-751X . Retrieved 31 July 2022.{{cite news}}: |last= has generic name (help)