Kokrajhar (Assam): Six persons were gunned down and eight others injured in attacks and counter attacks by two communities in Lower Assam’s Kokrajhar town where curfew has been clamped and the army kept on standby.
Four cadres of former insurgent outfit Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) cadres were shot dead by unidentified persons at Joypur area under Kokrajhar police station of Kokrajhar district last night, police sources said.
In a suspected retaliatory attack, unidentified persons fired killing a 60-year-old man Shahadat Hussain and injured four others in Duramari area under Kokrajhar police station early this morning, the sources said.
A 14-year old boy, Zakir Ali, was stoned to death by unidentified persons in Narabari area of Kokrajhar Road, the sources said. In yet another attack during the day, four others were injured by armed men in Kodalduha under Fakiragram police station, they said.
The violence was suspected to have been triggered by shooting at and injury to two student leaders, Mohibul Islam, the founder president of the All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union and Abdul Siddique Sheikh, the former president of Bilasipara unit of the All Assam Minority Students’ Union at Magurbari on Thursday night. The district administration imposed curfew from 12 noon on Saturday to 6:00 am tomorrow in the town and prohibitory orders under Section 144 CrPC in the district, officials said. Army has been kept on stand-by in sensitive areas and additional security forces deployed, IGP (BTAD) S N Singh said. The four BLT cadres have been identified as Pradip Narzary, Jungsar Bodo, Jatin Goyary and Dhrubajyoti Goyary.
Meanwhile, the state government has announced an ex-gratia payment of Rs three lakh to the deceased’s next of kin and Rs 50,000 to the injured. Transport and Tourism Minister Chandan Brahma has rushed to the district and appealed the people to maintain calm. (PTI)