Rebel killings postpone NC Hills autonomous body poll

Guwahati, Jun 5 (UNI) The North Cachar Hills Autonomous District Council(NCHADC) election has been postponed after the Asom Cabinet today recommended it to Governor Lt Gen. (retd) Ajai Singh, following a spurt of killings of Congress leaders in the hills district.

The Cabinet had reviewed the situation in the NC Hills after three top Congress leaders of the NCHADC, including its chief, were killed by suspected DHD (Jewel Garlosa faction) militants in the past 48 hours.

Raj Bhawan sources informed that Lt Gen. (retd) Singh was likely to approve the Cabinet request for postponing the election, due on June 12, due to the troubled situation in the district.

Fresh forces have already been deployed to the district, with Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi instructing the Southern Range DIG to furnish the requirements of additional forces to maintain law and order situation in the district.

The Governor and Mr Gogoi, along with top police and army officials, had met at a stock-taking meeting in Haflong, the headquarters town of NC Hills district, earlier in the day.

The three top Congress leaders - the Chief Executive Member (CEM), Deputy Chairman and an Executive Member (EM) of the NCHADC - were killed by rebels of the DHD (Jewel Garlosa faction) yesterday.

All the killed persons were candidates for it.

CEM Purendu Langthasa, equivalent to Cabinet minister rank, and EM Nindu Langthasa were invited by the militants for ''discussion'' at Longei Basti near Umrangso police station and shot them dead yesterday.

The CEM is the eldest son of former state Cabinet minister and senior Congress MLA G C Langthasa, whose second son was also killed by militants two years back.

The body of deputy chairman of the autonomous district council Ajit Bodo was recovered late last night, after he was kidnapped on June 3.

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