- The Centre has empowered the Assam rifles to arrest anyone and search a place without warrant in the border districts of Assam, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, Nagaland and Mizoram. The Assam Rifles is one of the Central Armed Police Forces (CAPF) in India. It came into being in 1835. It is under the administrative control of the Home Ministry and operational control of the Army. It conducts counter-insurgency operations in the North East and guards the India-Myanmar border.
- There are seven CAPF in India. They are a) Assam Rifles (AR), b) Border Security Force (BSF), c) Central Industrial Security Force (CISF), d) Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), e)Indo Tibetan Border Police (ITBP), f)National Security Guard (NSG) and g) Sashastra Seema Bal (SSB)
- Assam rifles have been given these powers under the Code of Criminal Procedure (CrPc).
- Assam Rifles has power to detain anyone where Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act (AFSPA) is in place. However, it was finding it difficult to operate in Mizoram, which is not covered by AFSPA.
- AFSPA, which is operational in some parts of the Northeast, gives armed forces the power to maintain public order in “disturbed areas”.
