Gauhati High Court seeks clarity on rehab for evicted people in Assam

The Gauhati High Court has sought clarity from the Assam government on providing rehabilitation and compensation for people displaced during an eviction drive in September 2024.

The Kamrup Metropolitan district authorities conducted the eviction drive at Kachutoli in the Sonapur area, about 20 km east of Guwahati, to clear 100 bighas of notified tribal land. The evicted were mostly migrant Bengali Muslims.

In an order on September 7, Justice Devashis Barua issued notices to various government departments to record their stands on the plea for rehabilitation and compensation by 76 petitioners through affidavits by October 6.

The petitioners represent some of the 650 families, comprising about 2,000 people, who were evicted from September 23 to 25, 2024, their advocate Zunaid Khalid said.

The court observed that the petitioners have been residing on private patta land (property whose ownership is officially recorded) after they were “evicted from their occupation” without receiving any rehabilitation or compensation.

The eviction at Kachutoli began on September 9, 2024. The displaced villagers reoccupied the land three days later, triggering tension.

The authorities resumed the demolition drive. The villagers protested, and two people—Haider Ali and Jubahir Ali—were killed in police firing, while 33 others, including government and police officials, were injured.

The local administration carried out the final eviction drive by September 25.