Assam ethnic strife: Kokrajhar MLA held for role in riots

Pradip Brahma, a Bodo MLA belonging to Bodoland People’s Front, has been arrested for his alleged involvement in the recent ethnic riots in the state.

Brahma was arrested from his Dotoma residence in Kokrajhar district in the wee hours of Thursday and later produced in the court of chief judicial magistrate which sent him to 14 days of judicial custody.

“He was arrested after seven cases were registered against him (by some Bengali-speaking Muslims) in Kokrajhar district in connection with the violence,” said inspector general (law and order) LR Bishnoi.

The MLA was charged under IPC sections 120B (criminal conspiracy), 147 (rioting), 148 (rioting armed with deadly weapons, 149 (unlawful assembly), 436 (mischief by fire or explosive substance), 427 (causing damage), 379 (theft) and 506 (criminal intimidation).

Brahma, an aide of Bodoland Territorial Council chief Hagrama Mahillary, is accused of indulging in incidents of arson. The BPF, which has 12 MLAs, is an ally of ruling Congress in the state. But after Brahma’s arrest, the party is now understood to be weighing all options including withdrawing its support.

His arrest sparked off protests with hundreds of BPF supporters blocking rail traffic in parts of Kokrajhar for about eight hours on Thursday.