ASSAM POLICE the journey through changes & challenges ASSAM POLICE the journey through changes & challenges Edited by Samudra Gupta Kashyap Bijay Sankar Bora on inputs provided by Assam Police Photographs Anupam Nath Assam Police Publisher: Assam Police First Published: 2019 Layout & Design Himangshu Lahkar No part of this book may be reproduced, stored in or introduced into retrieval system, or transmitted, in any form, or by any means (electronic, mechanical, photocopying, recording or otherwise) without the prior permission of the publisher. Any person who does any unauthorised act in relation to this publication may be liable to criminal prosecution and civil clams for damage. Copyright Assam Police Printed at: Bhabani Offset & Imaging Systems Pvt. Ltd. Sarbananda Sonowal Chief Minister, Assam Guwahati Dispur 09.08.2019 MESSAGE Assam Police personnel always render their duty displaying the highest order of integrity and discipline in accordance with the law and the Constitution and respect the rights of citizens as guaranteed by it. It is really heartening to know that the Assam Police is bringing out a book to give a pictorial representation of some of its unlimited selfl ess demeanours that it undertakes during peace or disturbed situation apart from its humanitarian works that it occasionally does for the welfare of all. Hope the book brings to light the onerous task undertaken by the Assam Police in saving lives and properties of our people and ensuring enduring smile to our citizens. I am sure that the book would be well appreciated by all. (SARBANANDA(SARBANANDA SONOWAL)SONOWAL FOREWORD ince the compilation of the book ‘Assam Police through the Years’, there have been lot of changes in the Assam Police at the organizational, structural and multiple other strategic Slevels in this decade-long hiatus. Population has increased, new avenues of crime have unfolded with advent of new and ever-changing technologies and also global village scenario, outlook and attitude have transformed radically. Police, as an organization, had to change and renovate itself from just a crime controlling organization to an organization with much broader perspective to meet those novel challenges. Thanas and outposts have been set up even in remote areas, specialized police units have been formed, dedicated wings have been put in place to deal with issues like cyber-crimes or social media abuses. Technology applied to deal with crime has also undergone tremendous changes. Apart from that, police outreach to the people through different help lines, social media posts have increased manifolds. Many women have been recruited to make the organization more encompassing. Training methodologies have also wrapped up modern inputs. In view of these overwhelming changes, need for a new book has been felt deeply to capture these aspects. This book is aimed as a brief history since inception and a record of the time. Assam Police is synonymous to unwavering dedication, discipline and duty. It always strives to build up a strong Police-Public relation for encouraging community participation in law enforcement and promote spirit of brotherhood amongst all segments of society. However, this indefatigable demeanor often gets lost in a maze of other things and receive very inadequate attention. Therefore, this book is an attempt to bring to the fore many least known facets of Assam Police. I hope the book will stand the test of time. I am immensely grateful to the authors and the entire production team who have made this project possible in an impossibly short time. I wish Assam Police a great success. (KULADHAR SAIKIA, IPS) Director General of Police Assam, Ulubari, Guwahati CONTENTS The Journey begins 12 Criminal Investigation Department 22 Special Branch 32 The Battalions 36 Assam Police Radio Organisation 50 On river route 60 Fire fighters 68 Special Forces 76 Force multiplier 84 Training Institutes 96 Wings to fight corruption & economic offences 106 Policing in turbulent times 112 GUWAHATI POLICE COMMISSIONERATE 122 Community out reach 128 HERITAGE MATTERS 140 SOCIAL MEDIA PRESENCE 144 Assam Police Housing Corporation 152 Beyond policing 158 Assam Police Day celebrations 168 12 Chapter 1 The Journey begins 13 14 he genesis of present-day police station in required to assist other revenue offi cials. the state of Assam dates back to around 1826 when three police stations were While the Rangpur Local Light Infantry of 1823, T st set up at Guwahati, Rangpur (now Sivasagar) renamed as 1 Assam Light Infantry in 1827, and Jorhat. Each of these police stations was was the virtual forerunner of all police and para- manned by one daroga, one jamadar and a few military forces in Assam and the Northeastern constables. Region, mention must be also made of the Assam Sebundy (Irregular) Corps was raised In March 1828, the administration of Assam in Guwahati in 1835 and deployed in Sadiya. was entirely vested on the civil authority and This Corps was renamed as 2nd Assam Light the function of the military was confi ned to Infantry in 1843. guarding the frontier areas and carrying out expeditions against ‘hostile’ tribal communities. As mentioned in AJ Moffatt Mills’ ‘Report on the Province of Assam’ (1853), the police system With the division of the Brahmaputra Valley into of Assam was in need of a Rural Police force. six districts – Kamrup, Goalpara, Darrang and Nagaon in 1834, and Sivasagar and Lakhimpur Seven years after the Mills’ Report came the in 1839, the number of police stations were Police Commission of 1860, and it was on its increased to seven (one each in Kamrup, report that the Police Act V of 1861 was passed. Goalpara, Darrang, Nagaon and Lakhimpur, This Act recommended abolition of the quasi- while Sivasagar had two – one each at military units and creation of an organized Sivasagar and Jorhat); each was managed by constabulary. Accordingly, the Sivasagar, a daroga, a thanadar, a handful of constables Lakhimpur and Nagaon Police Militia and the and a couple of peons – all of whom were also Kuki Levy in Cachar were absorbed into the 15 Off-spring of Assam Police Like Assam Rifles, the country’s oldest counter-insurgency force, which was born out of Assam Police, the police forces of as many as three other states – Nagaland, Meghalaya and Mizoram – also have their roots in the Assam Police. Nagaland got its own police force immediately after it became a separate state on December 1, 1963, with the police force in the then Naga Hills district of Assam becoming the base for it. Likewise, Meghalaya Police came into being by initially comprising of the Assam Police force that were in existence in the United Khasi and Jaintia Hills district and the Garo Hills district, which together had become a separate state in 1972. The erstwhile Lushai Hills district of Assam, which was renamed as Mizo District in 1954, on the other hand became the Union Territory of Mizoram on January 21, 1972, and with this the erstwhile Assam Police in Mizo district was converted into Mizoram Police. Mizoram later became a full-fledged state on February 20, 1987. 16 new police force and nine police districts were The government had, under provisions of the created in 1862, these being Goalpara, Kamrup, Police Act of 1861 also created a ‘Punitive Darrang, Nagaon, Sivasagar, Lakhimpur, Khasi Police’ in 1880 in Goalpara, Sylhet and and Jaintia Hills, Cachar and Sylhet districts. Shillong to tackle recurrence of disturbances. This Police was empowered to realize its Four years later, in 1866, the government maintenance cost from the erring inhabitants, constituted the Naga Hills Police and the and thus the name. Garo Hills Police. Assam Police was divided into two distinct branches – Civil Police and In 1874, the government created a special force Frontier Police – in 1878, with the two forces called River Police. The Railway Police on the having strengths of 1,483 and 2,174 personnel other hand came into existence in 1885 with respectively. just one Head Constable and four Constables to assist the railway survey party. In 1874, the government had created the Municipal Police. Entrusted with maintenance The Assam Police Frontier regulation of 1882 of law and order in the towns as also prevention meanwhile led to giving a distinct military role and detection of crime, the Municipal Police to the Frontier Police to defend the frontiers was initially only in Guwahati, Silchar and of the Province. It was soon divided into four Sylhet. In 1876 Municipal Police was created corps to be stationed in Cachar, Lakhimpur, in Goalpara, in 1877 in Dibrugarh, and in 1878 Garo Hills and Naga Hills. Barring these four in Shillong. By 1881 Silchar and Sivasagar too districts, the responsibility of guarding jails got Municipal Police. In April 1881 however, the and treasuries was vested on the Civil Police. Municipal Police all districts except Sylhet and Shillong was merged with the Civil Police. In 1890, its name was changed from Frontier 17 Police to Assam Military Police. At the beginning of the 20th Century, the government created the post of Inspector General of Police who also held charges of Jails, Registration and Stamps. The IGP had two forces under him - (i) Civil Police for maintenance of law and order and prevention and detection of crimes, and (ii) Military Police for maintaining frontier outposts and holding as a garrison the Garo, Naga and Lushai Hills. The Civil Police in each of the plains districts was headed by a District Superintendent or an Assistant Superintendent of Police. The Military Police on the other hand had fi ve Battalions – (1) Lakhimpur Battalion with headquarters at Dibrugarh, (2) Silchar Battalion with headquarters in Shillong, (3) Naga Hills Battalion with headquarters at Kohima, (4) Garo Hills Battalion with headquarters at Tura, and (5) Lushai Hills Battalion with headquarters at Aizawl.