Lull over, Assam witnesses fresh violence

After a brief lull, fresh violence was reported from Assam’s Dhubri district on Wednesday even as bodies of two Assamese people were recovered, one from Howrah in West Bengal and another from Gossaigaon in Kokrajhar district.

One person was injured and two others were missing after they were fired upon by the miscreants in Dhubri district. The police said the firing took place on Dhubri-Kokrajhar border on Wednesday at 4pm.

“Seven people from Muslim-dominated Bangaldoba village had gone to a nearby beel (water body) for fishing as part. Suddenly, there was some firing on them from the hillside. Five of them managed to flee, of which one sustained bullet injuries. Two others are reportedly missing,” the inspector general of police LR Bishnoi told DNA.

He said the police were yet to ascertain the identity of the assailants. “The incident could be a result of internal economic rivalry also. Our personnel are at the spot,” Bishnoi added.

Meanwhile, bruised body of one Bhupen Taid of Dhakuakhana was recovered from Howrah. He was returning home from Tamil Nadu where he was working as a security guard. With this, bodies of eight Assamese youth, all believed to have been killed in connection with the ethnic riots, were recovered from outside the state.