Upper Asom volatile as protest over 'fake encounter' swells

Guwahati, May 8 (UNI) Upper Asom remained tense for the third day today as villagers blocked National Highways and held meetings protesting the killing of an 'innocent' man by the Army in Tinsukia district on May 6.

Traffic movement was adversely affected as thousands of protesters blocked the highway at various places of Tinsukia district -- Doomdooma, Kakopathar and Talap. Four districts of Arunachal Pradesh remained cut-off from Asom for the second day today.

The agitating villagers, supported by various organisations, including the AASU, PCPIA and AJYCP, demanded suspension of Army operations in the state.

The protesters also demanded compensation to the family of the victim, besides a judicial probe into the incident.

The administration was sent into a tizzy in the wake of the agitation even as security arrangements were tightened to avert any untoward incident.

Claiming that the person shot dead by the Army was an 'innocent father of three sons', the agitators said deceased Budheswar Moran was an employee at the Manipur Tea Estate of Doomdooma.

However, a spokesperson of the 6 J&K Rifles said Budheswar Moran alias Budhee alias Budhay, was a 'dreaded ULFA cadre'.

Hours after the encounter, the 'commander' of ULFA's 'C-Company' Jiten Dutta had told the media that Moran was in no way associated with the outfit.

Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday directed Upper Asom Commissioner Hemanta Narzary to conduct an inquiry and submit the report at the earliest.

Significantly, the Dibrugarh district administration had ordered an inquiry after public protest over the killing of one Moni Gogoi by the Army at Balijan in Nahorkotia of Dibrugarh in January.

The Army claimed that Gogoi was a militant.

In another recent incident, two Army officers were found guilty of killing an innocent villager, Ajit Mahanta of Kakopathar in Tinsukia district, on February 8 last year. The incident had created an uproar in upper Asom.

UNI