Suspected ULFA(I) militants gun down five in Assam, Mamata hints at NRC fallout
Mukesh Agarwal, additional director general of police, said the five were from the same village. He said the gunmen were yet to be identified.
Five persons were shot dead by suspected ULFA(I) militants in Assam’s Tinsukia district late on Thursday.
Police said six suspected ULFA (I) cadre abducted the five from Dhola’s Kherbari village. Their bodies were later found under a bridge some distance away. A police officer said they had been shot.
The incident took place at about 8 pm.
Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal condemned the “killing of innocent people” and rushed two ministers to the spot. “The perpetrators of the crime will be dealt with a firm hand,” said Sonowal.
Kuladhar Saikia, Assam police chief, has also been ordered to reach the district where, the police said, adding that the five of Bengali community have been killed.
West Bengal chief minister Mamata Banerjee also sought strong action against the perpetrators but appeared to take a jab at the Assam government as well. The Trinamool Congress chief called for protest rallies in different parts of north and south Bengal including Siliguri and Kolkata against the brutal killings on Friday.
In a series of tweets, Mamata Banerjee named the five men and wondered if the brutal attack was an “outcome of recent NRC development”.
She identified the victims as Shyamal Biswas, Abhinash Biswas, Ananta Biswas, Subodh Das and Dhananjay Namashudra.
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