Assam-Aruchal border tense

Wood-cutter's killing

By Our Staff Reporter

Guwahati, June 5: Fresh tension has erupted along the Assam-Aruchal border after an Assamese wood-cutter was killed by armed miscreants from Aruchal Pradesh.

Protesting villagers today blocked the road connecting the neighbouring State amid stray incidents of violence during which a vehicle plying from Aruchal Pradesh was also torched.

Sources said a group of woodcutters had gone to collect firewood inside a forest at the Behali forest reserve on Wednesday.

The group was accosted by armed miscreants. “One of the woodcutters was detained by the miscreants while the rest maged to flee.  His body was found last night. The victim has been identified as Kaloi Orang (30) of Serelia Behali Mikir Gaon,” official sources said.

The area where the incident took place is not far from the place where Aruchalee miscreants had killed 15 people on January 29, 2014. The CBI is investigating the incident.

Sonitpur Deputy Commissioner Lalit Gogoi today rushed to Biswath Chariali to take stock of the situation which was brought under control by Friday afternoon.

SDO (C) Biswath Pallav Gopal Jha, Biswath SP Mabendra Devroy, DFO of Sonitpur (East Division) Subhashish Das along with two witnesses of the incident today visited the spot in the remote forest area. Additiol police and paramilitary forces have been deployed in the forest area bordering Aruchal Pradesh.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi today asked his Aruchal Pradesh counterpart bam Tuki to take up immediate steps for defusing tension along the inter-state border following the violent incident.

In a telephonic talk this morning, Gogoi asked Tuki to initiate necessary steps in right earnest to defuse the escalating tension and to bring the situation under control. Gogoi, while assuring the State Government’s help and cooperation, said both the States must work in tandem to instill confidence among the people living along the inter-state border. Gogoi also asked Tuki to take immediate steps to b the miscreants involved in the incident.