Five NDFB(S) militants arrested, arms and ammunition recovered
Tezpur: Five NDFB(S) militants were arrested and a cache of arms and ammunition was recovered from them in the Sonitpur district, the police said on Thursday. According to Biswanath Chariali district SP Manabendra Dev Ray, the terrorists were apprehended from Gohpur sub-division in a joint operation by the Army and the Assam Police Wednesday night. He said the militants were taking shelter at three different places – Tenga Bari, Balijan and Kokila – under Gohpur police station. The militants have been identified as Goydl Goyari, Casakro Brahma, Jimmy Basumatary, Edison Narjari and Tomil Narjari. Ray said security forces have recovered two pistols, four magazines and two grenades from the apprehended militants. The SP said the group was involved in a number of kidnapping cases and has been demanding money from various businessmen in Gohpur and other places. The security forces have been continuing operations in the bordering areas of Arunachal Pradesh against NDFB(S) to arrest more cadres involved with the group, he added. (PTI)
Renowned Assamese poet seriously ill
Guwahati: Sahitya Akademi award winning Assamese poet Ajit Barua was admitted on Thursday to a local hospital. Doctors attending on him said that the condition of 88-year old Barua was serious and his health was being closely monitored. Barua’s family said he had been suffering from respiratory problem which turned serious earlier in the day. Barua has several publications of poems to his credit including the ‘Kichumaan Padya Aaru Gaan’ and ‘Brahmaputra Etyaadi Padya’. He had translated Albert Camus’ play Les Justes, and the novel ‘The Plague’ from French to Assamese. Besides the Sahitya Akademi, Barua is also the recipient of Bhasha Sahitya Samman and Assam Valley Literary award among others. (PTI)
Man dies after hit by wooden club, police conducts inquest
Aizawl: The killing of a man, who was hit by wodden club at Mizoram-Myanmar border Hnahlan village, triggered row here with the police conducting inquest of the body. Police said according to information Lalhruaia (37) was hit with a blunt firewood on his forehead in Champhai district’s Hnahlan village on Tuesday night. The victim died Wednesday night, police said. A police party led by the Second Officer-in-Carge went to Hnahlan village and conducted inquest on the body, Officer-in-Charge of Champhai Police Station Lalfela said. Lalrotluanga, Vice President of the Young Mizo Association (YMA) Hnahlan unit, however claimed Lalhruaia was trying to control a group of teenagers who were making noise near the house of his in-laws’ residence resulting in the youths turning their ire towards him. As Tunsianmuanga, his wife’s bother, came out of the house flaunting a firewood and tried to shield Lalhruaia from the other boys, he accidentally hit his brother-in-law who then felt unconscious, the YMA leader claimed quoting eye witnesses and other villagers. Lalhruaia’s condition deteriorated on Wednesday morning and he died on way to Aizawl Civil Hospital. (PTI)
Unprecedented terror unleashed by CPI(M) on us: Tripura BJP
Agartala: The Tripura unit of BJP will organise demonstrations on Friday in all the eight districts of the state to protest against the alleged “unprecedented terror” let loose by the ruling CPI(M) on its leaders and party activists. “This is a pre-planned unprecedented terror let loose by CPI(M) activists ahead of the elections to the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council (TTAADC) scheduled in May. We also plan to gherao the official residence of Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, because despite our appeals, he did not take any step to stop the terror,” BJP state President Sudhindra Dasgupta told a press conference here on Thursday. Dasgupta also alleged that CPI(M) had attacked its own workers to stop their migration to BJP as they were disillusioned by the corruptions of the ruling party. He alleged 11 BJP activists were attacked by the CPI(M) cadres at Belonia subdivision of South Tripura district last Tuesday and ten BJP activists were attacked and injured yesterday at Sabroom subdivision of the same district when they were campaigning for party membership. “Despite making specific complaints to the police, no one was arrested so far,” Dasgupta told reporters. Responding to a question, he said BJP would contest the 30-member tribal council elections alone and would not forge any alliance with any party. The tribal council area constitutes two thirds of the state territory and was the home to the tribals who form one third of the population. (PTI)
Forest guard, poacher killed in Kaziranga encounter
Kaziranga: A forest guard and a poacher was killed in an encounter in Assam’s Kaziranga National Park this evening, a park official said. Acting on a tip-off, forest guards intensified patrolling in Burapahar range of the Park and a gun-battle ensued between forest guards and a group of three poachers, he said. A forest guard and a poacher were killed in the encounter, which lasted for nearly half an hour while two other poachers managed to escape, he said. The encounter took place between Sanchanguri and Miri Nihiting camps and the poachers were suspected to have come down from the nearby hills of Karbi Anglong district. A .303 rifle, an axe and three empty shells of cartridge were recovered from the encounter site, the official said. The forest guard has been identified as Janak Deuri but the poacher was yet to be identified, he added. Altogether five poachers have been killed and 12 others have been arrested so far this year. (PTI)
One more tests positive for H1N1 virus in Mizoram
Aizawl: With a non-tribal from Delhi found to be infected with swine flu, Mizoram now has two cases of the H1N1 virus, Nodal Officer of the state Integrated Disease Surveillance Programme (IDSP) Dr Pachuau Lalmalsawma said. Lalmalsawma said the samples of the suspected H1N1 patient, sent on Tuesday and again on Wednesday to the National Institute of Cholera and Enteric Diseases (NICED), Kolkata were found to be positive. He said the patient, first treated in a private hospital in Aizawl, was shifted to the ICU of Aizawl Civil Hospital and was being treated there. (PTI)