On Thursday morning, 17th July, in Paikan Reserve Forest under Krishnai Range of Goalpara district, an eviction drive led by the Assam Police and the forest department came under attack for clearing encroachments. Police opened fire, resulting in one person dying and the other getting seriously injured.
According to the sources, the clash erupted when a large group of Muslims who illegally occupied the government land attacked the eviction team. Eyewitness accounts and video footage from the scene show Muslim residents pelting stones at the eviction team and attacking an excavator used in the operation. In an act of self-defence, police opened fire upon the mob. One person died and the other sustained injuries. At least 10 from the team of forest and police personnel have also been injured, officials said.
Goalpara, Assam: Violence erupted during an eviction drive in Paikan as locals clashed with police, pelting stones and attacking an excavator. Police opened fire to disperse the mob, resulting in one death and one injury pic.twitter.com/82oswCz24n
— IANS (@ians_india) July 17, 2025
The eviction was part of the state government’s initiative to reclaim over 140 hectares of encroached land within the Paikan Reserve Forest. The encroached areas include the densely populated areas of Bidyapara and Betbari, where 1,080 families of East Pakistan/Bangladesh-origin Muslim immigrants have reportedly been living for years without valid land documents.
Meanwhile, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma has issued a stern warning, saying, “Once the eviction is completed, we plan to undertake afforestation in the cleared areas. Anyone attacking police personnel will face legal consequences. Our aim in Paikan is to reclaim forest land and restore it to its natural state”.
