Guwahati: The Army has been deployed in sensitive areas of Assam’s Kokrajhar district after mob violence claimed two lives and triggered arson and clashes, allegedly between members of the Bodo and Adivasi communities, officials said on Wednesday.
Army personnel carried out joint patrols with the district administration in the affected areas of Karigaon and nearby localities on Tuesday night, a defence spokesperson said. A flag march is scheduled to be conducted in the area on Wednesday as part of confidence-building measures. Four Army columns are currently deployed in the district, he added.
Officials said the situation remains under control, with tight security arrangements in place across Kokrajhar and the neighbouring Chirang district.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had earlier said that arrangements were ready for Army deployment, while the Rapid Action Force (RAF) had already been deployed following the violence.
According to a home department official, the unrest began on Monday night when a vehicle carrying three Bodo men hit two Adivasi persons on Mansingh Road under the Karigaon outpost. The occupants of the vehicle were allegedly assaulted by nearby Adivasi villagers, and the vehicle was set on fire. One person died on the spot, while another succumbed to injuries on Tuesday. Three others who were injured are undergoing treatment at a hospital.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday as members of the Bodo and Adivasi communities blocked the National Highway near the Karigaon outpost, burned tyres, set a government office on fire and attacked the Karigaon police outpost, the official said. Police resorted to baton charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, leaving several people, including some police personnel, injured.
The Kokrajhar district administration has set up two relief camps at Karigaon High School and Gwajanpuri Amanpara High School after several villagers fled the area fearing further attacks.
ALSO READ: Man killed, four injured in mob attack over cattle theft suspicion in Kokrajhar
Prohibitory orders have been imposed across Kokrajhar district under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023. As a precautionary measure, the home department has also suspended internet and mobile data services in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts, officials said.
