ABSU, AASU demand NIA probe into terror attack in Kokrajhar

From our Correspondent

KOKRAJHAR, August 14: The All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU), Kokrajhar district committee has demanded NIA probe in the terror attack at Balajan Tiniali in Kokrajhar on August 5 to track down the real culprits behind the incident.

In a press statement the general secretary of Kokrajhar district committee, ABSU, Nion Mashahary said a memorandum demanding NIA investigation into the Balajan Tiniali gruesome attack was also sent to the Union Home Minister Rajth Singh through the Deputy Commissioner, Kokrajhar recently. He said the copy of memorandum was also sent to Assam Chief Minister Sarbanda Sonowal. He also said the memorandum was jointly submitted by the Kokrajhar district committee, ABSU and AASU demanding NIA investigation, enhancement of amount of compensation allotted to the victims and proper rehabilitation of victim families of the terror attack.

The student bodies said Balajan Tiniali under Kokrajhar district witnessed a gruesome massacred on  August 5, 2016 where 14 innocent people lost their lives and at least 14 were grievously injured and five received minor injuries. There are varied interpretations given by many individuals, organizations, government on this brutal attack, they said, adding that there was a common demand for investigation by NIA or CBI into this brutal attack and increasing the amount of compensation announced by the State Government for the victims, which was not adequate in comparison to the losses suffered. Both the student bodies said that the ex-gratia to the next kin of those killed in the recent brutal attack was Rs 5 lakh and the fincial assistance granted to the injured persons was Rs 1,00,000 only for grievously injured persons and Rs. 20,000 only for people with light injuries, which was highly disproportiote.

The ABSU and AASU, while considering the present price hike, demanded that the amount of compensation towards the next kin, grievously injured and simple injured persons was unreasobly disproportiote and so this should be enhanced up to Rs 10 lakh for the dead, Rs. 1.5 lakh for grievously injured and Rs. 50,000 for minor injuries. They also demanded adequate compensation to all businessmen those who had lost properties.

The memorandum said the people of Tiniali areas had been facing security problems since long but no police outpost was available there. They urged the State Government to set up new police outpost in Tiniali for the security of the people.