GUWAHATI: Assam is contemplating handing over the case regarding the death of a Cachar resident along the Mizoram border to the National Investigation Agency (NIA), an official statement informed.
State minister Parimal Suklabaidya, while interacting with residents during a visit to the deceased’s residence in Lailapur village on Tuesday evening, informed that the state government would institute an inquiry into the death of the person and was mulling to hand over the case to the NIA.
Sources said Intazul Laskar, 48, of Lailapur village, was allegedly abducted by miscreants near the inter-state border on Sunday and had died in Vairengte in Mizoram on Monday.
Suklabaidya, along with the state chief secretary and director general of police met the family members of the deceased and handed over a cheque for Rs 5 lakh as ex gratia from the state government.
Suklabaidya, who is a legislator from Dholai in the southern Assam district, had to abort his journey to Guwahati and rush back to Lailapur on Monday evening in the wake of the incident and escalation of tension in the area.
The minister subsequently reviewed the law and order situation with Cachar police and district officials.
Suklabaidya also conveyed the chief minister’s concern about the border tension and assured that the government was with the people of the affected villages.
“At the chief minister’s instruction, the chief secretary, DGP and other senior officials have visited Lailapur to take stock of the situation,” he added.
The minister asked the people living close to the inter-state border not to cross over to the other side in view of the prevailing situation and assured them that three border outposts would be set up permanently for their safety and protection.
Talking to media persons, chief secretary Jishnu Barua and DGP, Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta, said Assam would not budge an inch of its territory.
“Assam won’t give up its constitutional boundary with the neighbouring state. The land belongs to us. There is no second opinion about our constitutional boundary,” Barua said, adding that “Assam wants the boundary row to be resolved peacefully and amicably.”
The chief secretary further said that the state government was in constant touch with the Centre on the border row and exuded optimism that the problem would be resolved amicably.
Bandh called
Meanwhile, the All Cachar Karimganj Hailakandi Students’ Association (ACKHSA) has called for a 12-hour bandh in the three districts – Cachar, Karimganj and Hailakandi – of Barak Valley on November 7 in protest against the death of Laskar.