Our Correspondent
TINSUKIA: Amid tight security blanket, purported sneaking of few armed militants on Tuesday evening at Bichimukh Kherbari, an infamous area where five persons were gunned down by suspected militants in November, has created a sense of insecurity in the locality with some agencies terming the news as fake and allegedly orchestrated by some vested interest to destabilize the present security action in Sadiya.
According to reports, five armed persons on foot waylaid a cyclist at Bichimukh Kherbari on Tuesday evening and asked for the residence of one Babul, a petty trader of Dhollaghat. After noticing few persons coming from the opposite direction, they escaped under the cover of darkness. The cyclist reportedly informed the villagers and Saikhowa ghat police station. The villagers got panicky after the news spread.
After the November mayhem and recent kidnapping of milk trader Khem Bahadur Chetry, the security in the area has been tightened. A CRPF post was created nearby. When asked, A Sahu, Assistant Commandant 68 Battalion CRPF based at Chapakhowa Sadiya, while terming the news as fake and motivated, told The Sentinel that the entire area was made impervious to outsiders following the kidnapping. He ruled out the presence of any militant group in the locality.
Superintendent of Police of Sadiya, Debojit Deori told this correspondent that it was a cooked up story. “If the villagers have lost confidence in the State police machinery despite adopting all measures under the adverse topographical situation, then it is most unfortunate and unhealthy for the people of Sadiya,” Deori remarked. He further said that as the Army was deployed in the area, there was no reason to maintain a police post in the disturbed area and he might withdraw this post from the locality. In the backdrop of the recent crackdown on timber mafia and other organized criminal activities in Sadiya, it appears that there might be a political force which was trying to get rid of present Sadiya SP Debojit Deori, who after assuming office has been trying to streamline the Sadiya Police with an iron hand.
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