A fierce face-off turned into a clash with sticks between the police and the locals during an anti-encroachment drive in Assam's Darrang district today. Nine policemen and two civilians are said to be injured in the clash, during which the policemen even opened fire.
A video from the site shows a man with a stick charging towards the policemen - in riot gear and armed with sticks and guns - being overpowered and brutally thrashed. The blows don't stop even as he lies motionless on the ground.
The police told NDTV that the locals resisted the eviction drive and started pelting stones. "Our nine policemen were injured. Two civilians were also injured. They have been shifted to the hospital. Now things are normal."
The cop, who was at the site of the clash, added, "We couldn't complete the eviction because of the situation. We will assess later. We are returning as of now."
But when asked about the footage of the local being shot and then beaten, he said "The area is big. I was on another side. I will find out and assess the situation."
There was already tension in the area since Monday as 800 families have been evicted.
