Fresh violence in Assam, 3 killed in 3 days

Ethnic violence continued in lower Assam's Kokrajhar district claiming the life of a farmer on Monday. With this the violence, which has erupted after a lull of about three months, has claimed three lives since Saturday.

Police said a farmer was gunned down at Bhumka in Gossaigaon area when he was going to his paddy field on Monday morning.

Following the incident, locals and people of neighbouring Banglabari armed with sticks and bows and arrows demonstrated against the Bodoland Territorial Administrative Districts  administration for allegedly failing to maintain law and order in the area.

Security personnel comprising police, the Central Reserve Police Force and other paramilitary forces were rushed to defuse the situation and maintain law and order in the area where tension prevails.

All educational institutions were closed in view of the restless situation in the area, the police said.

On Saturday two persons were killed with one shot dead at Badugaon in Gossaigaon, while a youth was hacked to death in a retaliatory attack at nearby Batlanmara village.

The fresh bout of violence came after three months in the area, which was rocked by ethnic violence between Bodos and Muslims leaving about 90 people dead and lakhs homeless during August-September this year.