Mizoram cop arrested for involvement in blast after explosion in Assam

Fresh tensions brewed in the ongoing border dispute after the Assam police arrested a Mizoram policeman in Hailakandi district for his alleged involvement in an explosive blast near a police outpost on Tuesday night.

The person has been identified as Laldintwanga, an Indian Reserve Battalion (IRBN) personnel and resident of Bhairabi area of Kolasib district, superintendent of police Gaurav Upadhyay said on Saturday.

“On Tuesday, at around 1:40 am, locals heard the sound of a high explosive blast near Baicherra BOP under Ramnathpur police station.

“During the investigation, we found that the Mizoram miscreants used detonating cord for blasting the explosive. We have arrested one Mizoram citizen for being involved in the explosive blast,” the Hailakandi SP said.

Laldintwanga was arrested and produced in court, which sent him to judicial custody. The Assam police have registered a case against him under section 120(B), 447 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code, Sec 4 of the PDPP Act and Section 3 of E.S. Act, Upadhyay said.

The blast took place just two days after Assam Police objected to the bridge construction at the Kachurthal area on the Assam side that was abandoned after a confrontation erupted over it in August.

“Since October 26, Mizoram miscreants were illegally constructing an RCC Culvert on Assam’s land. It is the same place where they attempted to construct a culvert in August this year.

“Last time, Mizoram lodged a case against us for stealing after we stopped similar construction on our land. But this time, they corporated and removed all the construction from our land after we caught them red-handed. They used their excavator to remove the RCC they constructed,” the SP said.

Assam and Mizoram share 165 kilometres of the state border, and there has been a long-standing dispute regarding the right to land.

The dispute turned ugly on July 26 after a clash between the police forces of Assam and Mizoram on the disputed border area in Cachar district on July 26 left seven people, six Assam Police personnel and a civilian, dead and over 50 others injured.