One person was killed and two others were injured when unidentified armed men fired at a vehicle loaded with cash in Assam’s Tinsukia district on Wednesday.
The incident took place around 8.40 am on Wednesday when four people were on the way in a van to Doomdooma from Pengeri tea estate in the district. The four persons had gone to the bank to collect money for disbursement of labourers wages.
“Some armed men must have way laid for them and fired at the vehicle when it reached a forested area before reaching Doomdooma,” said Tinsukia Superintendent of police, Mugdhajyoti Mahanta.
He said the police are yet to confirm if it was handiwork of militants or some criminals.
Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the firing and directed the Director General of Assam Police to launch a combing operation to nab the culprits indulged in the incident.
“It was an act of cowardice perpetrated on innocent people who were going to withdraw cash for the tea garden workers. This type of highhandedness cannot be tolerated in a civilised society and I assure everybody that the perpetrators won’t be scot-free and stringent action will be taken against them,” Sonowal said.
The Chief Minister also announced an ex-gratia payment of `5 lakh to the next of the kin of the deceased.
He also directed the Tinsukia district administration and Assam Medical College Authority to provide all necessary medical facilities for the treatment of the injured.
The Chief Minister has also rushed Transport Minister Chandra Mohan Patowary along with the MlAs of Digboi and Margherita to Pengeri to take stock of the situation.