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Alarming rise in killings spreads terror in Guwahati

Fear psychosis has gripped the people of Guwahi in the wake of current spate of killings, forcing the Assam government to replace the city police chief.

In less than a month, five major insurgency-related killings have taken place in the busy market areas of the city besides other murders, kidnappings and extortion.

The police top brass admitted an alarming rise in violence in the city but pleaded they could do little to stop them. ''These are not regular crimes. It is insurgency-related violence in which either United Liberation Front of Asom men killed the surrendered United Liberation Front of Asom activists or the SULFA retaliated,'' said a senior police official.

The most recent is the killing of top SULFA leader Rituraj Gogoi. He was found shot dead on the Guwahati-Shillong road in the busy business area. He was shot inside his Gypsy by unidentified gunmen.

According to the investigating police officer, Gogoi was the sole witness to the alleged killing of three of his colleagues by Major Jamir Khan in September last at his own residence at Dibrugarh.

The army authorities quickly swung into action and arrested Major Khan, who is now awaiting court martial. Rituraj Gogoi, who had taken personal bodyguards since then, was without any cover on that fateful night. The police said that they were looking into all angles.

Again, just two nights ago in the same Christian Basti area, the National Democratic Front of Bodoland militants carried out the most daring operation of all time in the city. About half a dozen militants climbed atop a wall, lobbed four hand grenades on some of their deserters and opened fire killing two of their cadres and injuring three others. So far no arrests have been made in this regard.

Both the incidents occurred just one kilometre from the Janata Bhawan, the seat of the administration of Assam government.

Top police sources informed that the ULFA hit squad has been operating in the city for a long time and the growing conflict between the ULFA and the SULFA worsened the situation.

The police had in fact heaved a sigh of relief with the killing of Alok Goswami, the self-styled commander of the ULFA's hit squad operating in Guwahati. He was shot dead in broad daylight at Silchar by unknown miscreants.

''Since the common suspicion is that SULFA killed Alok Goswami, we apprehend a major clash between both the groups in the next couple of weeks,'' said the sources indicating that the relationship between the ULFA and the SULFA had touched an all time low with the SULFA, based at Dibrugarh district, openly waging a battle against their former comrades.

Both sides lost nearly half a dozen important leaders in the past month alone in this ongoing battle for supremacy. The ULFA decisively lost its base and presence in the upper Assam areas and remained in some pockets of lower Assam only.

Meanwhile, only last night the police found an unidentified body in Panjabari area of Guwahati. Earlier last week, another body, later identified as of one Deepa Medhi, an ULFA leader, was found behind the Guwahati Medical College.

A fortnight back, top SULFA leader Rishiraj Sinha was killed by the ULFA in Guwahati. The police later revealed that he was liaisoning with the army for surrender of ULFA militants before army. He too was kidnapped in busy Athgaon area of the city.

Even as the case was being investigated, Superintendent of Police of the Bureau of Investigation of Economic Offences B K Doley was shot dead by ULFA when he was returning from office.

Panic has stricken Guwahati as the killings continue.

The police high-ups, bowing to mounting criticism, replaced Superintendent of Police P K Das by Bhaskar Mahanta.

UNI

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