The Government of Assam on Tuesday said it will hand over the investigation into the violence that left six people dead on the state’s disputed border with Meghalaya in West Karbi Anglong district to a central or neutral agency.
In a statement, the GoA also said that it has ordered action against several police and forest officials involved in the incident, including transfer of the Superintendent of Police, West Karbi Anglong.
A top police official said in Guwahati that initially, four people were killed and later two others succumbed to their injuries on 22 November morning’s incident.
He also said the three persons arrested by Assam Police have been handed over to Meghalaya as a “confidence-building measure” following discussions between top civil and police administration of the two adjoining districts.
“The forest guard was killed by members of the mob with sharp weapons, who also snatched away his rifle. It was then that the Assam side had to fire to control the situation,” the official, who wished not to be named, said.
He added that the body of the forest guard was taken by Meghalaya Police and will be returned after post-mortem examination.
The Assam government also announced ex-gratia of Rs 5 lakh each to the next of kin of the six deceased.
Six people, including one forest home guard of Assam and five civilians of Meghalaya, were killed in violence at the disputed Mukroh area on Tuesday morning following the interception of a truck allegedly laden with illegally felled timber by forest guards from Assam.
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Meanwhile, Meghalaya Cabinet will be sending a team of delegates to New Delhi to meet Union Home Minister Amit Shah to seek for a central agency to take over the investigation of the incident in its West Jaintia Hills district.
Chief Minister Conrad Sangma said that GoA has assured that it will cooperate with whatever demands Meghalaya puts forward to Centre to ensure that justice is served and those guilty are punished.
The CM also said that Assam will take necessary steps to investigate into the matter, in consultation with his government.
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4, including a forest guard, killed in violence at Assam-Meghalaya border
