# Sonitpur Man vs The State of Assam and Ors

HTML version: [https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2025-0075](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2025-0075)

## Report card

By judgment dated 23 January 2025 in WP(C)/6349/2017, the The Gauhati High Court (Coram: Kardak Ete, J.) returned findings adverse to the police personnel, Mahabhairab police outpost / Assam Police, Tezpur, and directed payment of compensation of Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000).

- Register number: AS 12 CW 0001
- Case reference: WP(C)/6349/2017 / 2025:GAU-AS:711
- Court and date: The Gauhati High Court (Coram: Kardak Ete, J.), 23 January 2025
- Officer(s) at the material time: police personnel, Mahabhairab police outpost / Assam Police, Tezpur
- Present service status: Not ascertained from the cited sources.
- Provisions invoked: Not stated in the cited sources
- Finding of the Court (extract): “I am inclined to direct that petitionerbe paid an amount of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakhs) only as compensation.” (at para Para 24)
- Verdict, sentence and quantum: Adverse finding + compensation. Sentence: compensation only. Compensation: Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000).
- Present status of the proceedings: The judgment is recent and may be subject to appeal; the pendency of an appeal is not a finding.
- Source orders: [Judgment / order (primary source)](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/71316095/); [Permanent link to this record](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2025-0075)

**Record:** CW-2025-0075 (compiler id CWC-1378); case cop-as-hc-1
**Title:** Sonitpur Man vs The State of Assam and Ors
**Court:** The Gauhati High Court; judges: Kardak Ete
**Case number / citation:** WP(C)/6349/2017 / 2025:GAU-AS:711
**Judgment:** 2025-01-23 (2025, day precision)
**Incident date:** 2017-04-20 (2017)
**Place:** Sonitpur, Assam; police station or unit: Mahabhairab police outpost, Tezpur; force: state_police
**Category:** Violence & unlawful detention
**Sub-category:** disproportionate force
**Outcome:** Adverse finding + compensation (adverse_finding_compensation)
**Officers (gated display forms):** police personnel, Mahabhairab police outpost / Assam Police, Tezpur (1 in record)
**Victims:** Sonitpur man (1 in record)
**Sentence / compensation:** compensation only; Rs 5 lakh (Rs 5,00,000)
**Sentence type:** compensation only (compensation_only)

The High Court held that the petitioner, a bystander near a road-accident protest site, suffered a bullet injury when the police opened fire. The High Court held that the firing was done without warning or superior orders and amounted to gross state violence. The High Court directed the respondent authorities to pay Rs.5,00,000 compensation in exercise of public-law jurisdiction. The High Court made clear the award was in addition to any other legal remedy available to the petitioner.

> I am inclined to direct that petitionerbe paid an amount of Rs. 5,00,000/- (Rupees five lakhs) only as compensation.

**Sources (1):** [indiankanoon.org](https://indiankanoon.org/doc/71316095/)
**Verification:** V2 · Externally reported
**Review:** Solo Staff combined review (one combined attestation) — not yet recorded
**admin category:** brutality
**admin subcategory:** disproportionate_force
**allegations:** {'category': 'Other', 'primary': True, 'position': 'Material fact supported', 'position_explainer': 'Reliable material supports a specifically documented fact relevant to that allegation, not necessarily the full allegation, causation, intent, unlawfulness, or responsibility.', 'official_finding_relation': 'supports allegation'}
**anonymised:** False
**court quote para:** Para 24
**display title redacted:** Sonitpur Man vs The State of Assam and Ors
**followup history:** {'date': '2026-09-24', 'scope': 'Swarm scout and independent verification pass (Muse Spark).'}
**followup status:** checked
**institutional response:** {'date': '2025-01-23', 'action_type': 'Order issued', 'status': 'Concluded', 'authority': 'The Gauhati High Court', 'independence': 'External', 'legal_effect': 'Binding', 'description': 'The The Gauhati High Court recorded adverse findings against police personnel.', 'disposition': 'adverse finding compensation', 'source': '2025:GAU-AS:711', 'recheck': 'Not yet re-checked.'}
**last checked:** 2026-09-24
**link checked per url:** {'url': 'https://indiankanoon.org/doc/71316095/', 'link_checked': None}
**retracted:** {"is_retracted": false}
**service:** police
**source assessment:** {"established": null, "basis": null}
**status:** current
**subcategory display:** disproportionate force
**tier:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**tier badge:** Externally reported
**tier history:** Tier A — Externally reported or officially recorded
**verdict:** accept
**verdict note:** Verified against the cited judgment.
**verification badge:** V2 · Externally reported
**verification status:** V2
**watch:** babuwatch

Status: Adverse finding + compensation.

[Open CW-2025-0075](https://datalibertarian.in/babuwatch/incident/CW-2025-0075)