Kokrajhar tense after student leader shot dead

GUWAHATI: Protest continued in several areas of Assam following the killing of All Bodoland Minority Students’ Union (ABMSU) leader Lafikul Islam by unidentified gunmen. Islam was killed on Tuesday by two motorcycle-borne youth. Assam Director General of Police Mukesh Sahay took stock of the law and order situation in Kokrajhar. Two persons have been arrested in this connection. Sahay said a Special Investigation Team (SIT) hasbeen formed to probe the killing.

“It is too early to pinpoint at anyone as of now. There could be involvement of militants or there could be some other angle. We are working on all the angles to trace the culprits,” DGP added. Sahay said Islam was given three personal security officers by Assam police.

However, on Tuesday he was moving without PSO. “Additional forces are deployed in the district,” he said. DGP admitted there are illegal arms in Bodoland Territorial Areas Districts (BTAD) region. “Police, however, launched operation continuously against the illegal arms and lots of illegal arms have already been seized.” Supporters of ABMSU and All Minority Students’ Union (AMSU) have protested the killing of Islam and demanded CBI inquiry.

Theprotesters burnt tyres and blocked roads as mark of protests. Chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal had also rushed two of his ministers—forest minister Pramila Rani Brahma and excise minister Parimal Shuklabaidya to Kokrajhar to take stock of the situation.

Kokrajhar Lok Sabha MP, Naba KumarSarania said that there could be a wider angle to the whole killing and this does not seem to be handiwork of illegal cattle syndicate as suspected by certain sections. “There is presence of large number of illegal arms in BTAD.” Islam was vocal against the illegal cattle trade. BTAD is a communally-sensitive area.