Police firing along Meghalaya border; 6 killed

 Situation tense  internet shutdown in Meghalaya  Assam orders judicial inquiry  Assam beat office torched

OUR BUREAU & ANI

GUWAHATI/HOJAI/SHILLONG: Six persons – five Khasis and an Assam Forest guard – died on the spot at Mukroh, a bordering area between the West Jaintia Hills district of Meghalaya and the Karbi Anglong district of Assam — in the wee hours today when the Assam Police personnel resorted to firing to disperse an unruly mob. The situation is tense in the bordering areas of the two states. While the Meghalaya administration lodged an FIR against the Assam Police, the Assam Government instituted a one-man inquiry commission under a retired judge of the Gauhati High Court.

The Assam Police restricted the entry of people of Assam and their vehicles into Meghalaya as precautionary measures. The Assam Police, however, allow people from other states to go to Meghalaya in vehicles registered in the neighbouring state. It has alerted all SPs of districts bordering Meghalaya. A police official said that 'the restriction on the movement of Assam's vehicles to Meghalaya is temporary. The restriction period depends on the situation.

The Meghalaya government has banned internet services in the state for the next 48 hours from 10.30 am today to prevent the situation from escalating further.

Meghalaya Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma said he was keeping in touch with his Assam counterparts. He also said he would brief the situation before Union Home Minister Amit Shah.

"The injured are in hospital, and an inquest is underway. The Meghalaya police filed an FIR in this connection," the Sangma said.

According to sources, the Assam Police and Forest personnel from Mukroh beat office followed a timber-laden truck and caught hold of the driver and two other persons last night. The police took the three persons to the beat office, leaving behind the truck. When the Assam Police and a few forest personnel went to the spot this morning to bring the truck to the beat office, a mob equipped with machetes and other sharp weapons demanded the Assam Police set the detained persons free. During the altercation, the situation escalated to a stage when the mob started to attack the police personnel. The police resorted to firing in self-defence, leading to the killing of five from the mob. A forest guard, Bidya Singh Lekthe, also died in the incident. The cause for the death of the forest guard will come to the fore only when the Meghalaya Police will hand his body over to the Assam Police after his post-mortem. The Meghalaya Police took all six bodies.

Chief Minister Sangma said that the Assam Police entered the Meghalaya area and resorted to unauthorized firing.

Sources in the Assam government said that the place of the incident, Block I, is a disputed area.

Sangma said, "It's an unfortunate incident where six persons died due to firing by the Assam Police and forest guards. I appeal to all our citizens to maintain peace and harmony, and the government is taking all necessary steps to ensure that law and order are maintained. We also had a meeting with traditional heads, Rangbah Shnongs and religious leaders, members of civil society and NGOs to discuss, inform and appeal for their support to stand together in this difficult time."

Meanwhile, the Meghalaya Government ordered a judicial inquiry in to the firing by Assam police. It has also appalled to the Government of India for a central investigation agency to take over the investigation in to the incident.

Meanwhile, Chief Minister Conrad K Sangma, the Deputy Chief Minister and a few Cabinet Ministers will visit the Mukroh area in West Jaintia Hills tomorrow.

On the other hand, the Assam Government said that it mandated the inquiry commission to inquire into the circumstances leading to the firing incident. The commission will submit its report within three months. The Assam government also claimed that the police and the forest personnel resorted to firing to save their lives. "Three civilians and one forest guard died in the incident," the Assam Government claimed.

Forest department sources said that after the meeting of the police and civil administrations of both parties to maintain peace, some miscreants set afire the forest beat office at Mukroh. Bikes and other goods of the beat office used jointly by forest and police personnel were reduced to ashes.

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