Baksa situation becoming normal; curfew lifted during day time

GUWAHATI: The situation in troubled Baksa district is improving and the indefinite curfew was relaxed during daytime today while and one more person was arrested in connection with the kidnap and killing of four persons.

Night curfew, however, would continue. "The situation is normalising fast. We have decided to lift the curfew during the day time from today. But curfew from 8 PM to 8 AM will continue," Baksa Deputy Commissioner Vinod Seshan told PTI. Indefinite curfew has been clamped in Gobardhana and Anand Bazar police stations in Baksa as well as the northern side of railway line in Barpeta district from Saturday.

Security forces comprising police, CRPF and Army, would continue its operations to arrest the culprits of the kidnap and murder, he added.

"We have arrested one more linkman of NDFB(S) last night. He helped suspected NDFB(S) militants in kidnapping the four persons," Seshan said.

Three more linkmen were arrested yesterday morning from the district for helping militants in the crime. On Friday, seven persons, reportedly lemon traders, came to Labdanguri market in Baksa district from the adjacent Barpeta district, but four persons did not return home.

Bodies of the four -- Ataur Ali (27), Rubul Amin (45), Saddam Ali (13) and Abu Bakkar (13) -- were later fished out from Hakuwa river.

The Army was on stand-by since Saturday and conducted area dominance exercise on Sunday after three bodies were fished out. The first one was recovered on Saturday.

Police have also arrested nine persons for violating curfew, attacking and injuring the In-Charge of Labdanguri police outpost while taking the bodies for postmortem. Assam government has announced an ex-gratia of Rs 8 lakh for the families of each of those killed.