The death toll in the recent violence in Assam’s Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD) has gone up to 37 with recovery of six more bodies on Wednesday even as the officials said that search operation is on to trace ten more missing persons.
The State Disaster Rescue Force (SDRF) today fished out six bodies from the Baksa and Barpeta districts of Assam. The bodies have been identified, officials said adding that they have also been killed by anti-talk faction of National Democratic Front of Bodoland (NDFB) militants, which targeted innocent civilians in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts in BTAD last Thursday.
There had been no incidents of fresh violence since last few days in the BTAD, officials said adding that the district administration had relaxed the curfew in Baksa, Chirang and Kokrajhar districts following improvement in the law and order situation.
However, night curfew would continue in all the three districts till further improvement, they added. Meanwhile, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi visited Narayanguri and Balapara Tulsibeel village in Baksa and Kokrajhar districts respectively and assured the people of adequate security.
The State Government had already set up 36 fixed police pickets in the violence affected areas to provide security. Gogoi also interacted with the families of the victim and assured that, “anyone involved in the gruesome crimes would not be spared at any cost”.
“Our Government will ensure that the people in the violence affected areas get due and proper justice,” he added. He assured to take all possible steps to confiscate illegal arms and asked the police and security forces to start operations to seize illegal weapons in BTAD.
He further promised that his Government will break ties with Bodoland People’s Front(BPF), if allegations of the Hagra Mohilary-led party’s involvement in killing Muslims are found to be true.
The NIA will probe the incidents, besides taking the decision to institute a judicial inquiry by a retired judge to get to the bottom of the truth. He also assured that the Government would provide `5 lakh each as ex-gratia to the next of kin of the deceased .