Assam: Congress MLA assaulted by CRPF men

Congress Member of Legislative Assembly Rupjyoti Kurmi was allegedly assaulted by Central Reserve Police Force personnel on Friday when he had gone to inquire about the kidnapping and subsequent release of two garden labourers in Assam's Jorhat district.

The police said that the two tea garden labourers, Atul Kurmi and Ranjit Nayak, of Naginijan tea estate were kidnapped by miscreants from Nagaland on Thursday. Assam police had lodged protests with its Nagaland counterparts and the duo were rescued and brought back by the latter to Mariani police station late on Thursday night.

The duo had gone to Mariani police station on Friday morning to file an FIR. Kurmi, who is the local MLA, also reached the spot to inquire about the incident when the CRPF personnel allegedly assaulted him.

Kurmi's supporters went on a rampage, damaging several vehicles and gheraoing the police station. Jorhat Superintendent of Police Sanjukta Parashar rushed to the spot and assured Kurmi and his supporters that those allegedly involved in the attack on the MLA would be taken into custody.

Kurmi further said that he would write to Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi and Assembly Speaker Pranab Gogoi to demand a high-level inquiry into the incident and appropriate action against the guilty. Senior police and civil officials are camping at the spot, but the situation was said to be tense, though under control, sources said.

Meanwhile, road traffic to and from Nagaland was disrupted with vehicles stranded on both sides of the border.