Assam News

Guwahati: The parents of self-styled Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh met him at the Dibrugarh central jail on Thursday, a prison official said.

The Waris Punjab De (WPD) chief has been lodged in the Dibrugarh jail since April 23 after he was taken into custody from Rhode village in Punjab's Moga district.



The parents of Amritpal - Tarsen Singh and Balwinder Kaur - landed at the Dibrugarh airport earlier on Thursday from where they went straight to the jail where they met their son after obtaining necessary permission from the jail authorities.

On May 4, Amritpal's wife Kiranpal Kaur had met him at the Dibrugarh jail. She was accompanied by the family members of Amritpal's aide Daljit Singh Kalsi, who is also lodged in the same prison.

Notably, nine other associates of Amritpal, including his close aide Papalpreet and uncle Harjit Singh, are also lodged at the Dibrugarh jail since March. According to jail sources, the radical preacher has been lodged in a separate cell. He has already been interrogated by central agency officers. IANS

The parents of self-styled Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh met him at the Dibrugarh central jail on Thursday, a prison official said.

Amritpal's parents meet him at Dibrugarh jail

The parents of self-styled Khalistani preacher Amritpal Singh met him at the Dibrugarh central jail on Thursday, a prison official said.


Guwahati: According to an official, two members of the anti-talks faction of the militant group Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) were killed on Monday in the Kokrajhar district of Assam during a joint operation by the police and the CRPF.
Four more of the group's members were also captured. Abhijit Deka, from Udalguri, and Nipun Ray, from the Bongaigaon district, have been named as the victims.
Assam Police Inspector General Prasanta Kumar Bhuyan told IANS, "Based on specific input regarding movement and training camp of KLO (KN) cadres in Chakrashila hill and surrounding jungle in the district, a search operation was launched at 4 a.m. by a joint team of Assam Police and CRPF."
Two camps discovered by the joint team were destroyed in the course of the search operation. IED components, explosives, wires, and logistics equipment were all found and confiscated in huge quantities.The ambush team successfully captured four cadres who had attempted to flee. Around 12:30 p.m., the operation team spotted a small group of cadres heading through the bush. An order to cease was issued. However, the criminals opened fire on the rescue workers. The group replied in a measured fashion in self-defense.
"After the firing ceased, an area search was done, and the team noticed two injured persons. Two pistols were also lying near them. They were immediately shifted to the hospital but the doctors declared them dead," Bhuyan said.
Currently, three sections of KLO are active.
Peace discussions are underway between Jeevan Singha's faction and the Central government.
However, the other two factions are still not ready to come to the table for talks, a senior police officer said.—Inputs from Agencies

According to an official, two members of the anti-talks faction of the militant group Kamtapur Liberation Organisation (KLO) were killed on Monday in the Kokrajhar district of Assam during a joint operation by the police and the CRPF

 Assam: 2 cadres of militant group KLO killed; 4 held (Ld)

Guwahati: Inaugurating the first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of the northeastern region in Guwahati, Prime Minister Narendra Modi on Friday slammed the previous governments for doing precious little to uplift the healthcare infrastructure of the country.

Speaking on the occasion, Modi pointed out, "The first AIIMS was built in Delhi during the 1950s. People from all corners went to AIIMS Delhi for treatment, but no government understood the need of setting up AIIMS campuses all over the country."

"It was the Atal Bihari Vajpayee government that took the initiative of building AIIMS in other cities," he added.

Following the departure of Vajpayee's government in 2004, Modi said the projects were stalled, and after 2014, when the BJP came to power at the Centre, the process of setting up AIIMS across the country got underway.

He said, "We started to build 15 AIIMS campuses, and today at least more than 50 per cent of them are functional. The teaching of medical courses and providing treatment began in those institutes."

The Prime Minister also inaugurated three new medical colleges in Assam along with initiating the foundation work of a multidisciplinary, state-of-the-art hospital at IIT Guwahati.

Taking a potshot at the Opposition, Modi claimed that due to the erroneous principles of previous governments, the healthcare system took a beating.

According to him, the country experienced a huge shortage of medical professionals earlier.

"Prior to 2014, there were only 150 medical colleges in the country. In the last nine years, the BJP-led government has focused on that sector, and we have built 300 new medical colleges. Now, there are more than 1 lakh seats in MBBS courses. The PG seats also increased multiple times," Modi mentioned.

He also said that work is on to further increase the number.

PM Modi claimed that reservations in medical seats and providing medical education in regional languages were introduced to facilitate people from marginal backgrounds studying healthcare courses.

Without naming the Congress, he alleged that due to the credit-hungry nature of others, the northeast was lacking in development for many years.

He said, "Now, wherever I go and talk about development. I can see a new illness among some people. They keep on complaining about why they were not given credit."

Due to this credit-hungry nature, they (the opposition) earlier felt the northeast was too far. But, we do not need credit; rather, the BJP worked with 'sewa-bhav', and you can see the results. Today, anyone who comes to Assam and the northeast for the first time talks about the enormous development the region has witnessed in the last few years," he claimed.

The Prime Minister also said, "Along with better connectivity, the northeast is now witnessing a change in the social sector too. The MBBS seats have been doubled here. A number of new medical colleges have been set up."

He said that all these were possible due to a stable and strong government at the centre since 2014.

"I feel lucky to serve you. It is the love of the people of Assam that brings me here repeatedly," Modi said. IANS

Inaugurating the first All India Institute of Medical Sciences (AIIMS) of the northeastern region in Guwahati.

Modi inaugurates AIIMS, Assam; targets earlier govts over lack of health infra

Udalguri: On Sunday, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, spoke out against his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal's remarks at a rally in Guwahati, labelling Kejriwal a "coward" whose "heroism" is limited to the assembly.
Sarma criticised Kejriwal for failing to mention the BJP leader's alleged corruption claims in the Delhi Assembly, which the leader is said to have made.
He'd accused me of corruption in the Delhi Assembly, but he's immune from punishment under the law. I dared him to make the same accusations outside the House, and said I'd meet him there if he tried to bring me to court.—Inputs from Agencies

On Sunday, Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, spoke out against his Delhi counterpart Arvind Kejriwal's remarks at a rally in Guwahati, labelling Kejriwal a "coward" whose "heroism" is limited to the assembly.

Kejriwal a coward with assembly heroism: Himanta

Guwahati News: The Assam government on Wednesday announced a reward of Rs 50 lakh for boxer Lovlina Borgohain, who won the Gold medal on March 26 in the Women's World Boxing Championship.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma made this announcement during the ongoing Budget Session of Assam Assembly,

The announcement comes after Lovlina, who won the bronze medal at the Tokyo Olympics, achieved another milestone by winning her first Gold medal at the World Championships on March 26.

Australian boxer Caitlin Parker, a two-time Commonwealth Games medallist, was defeated by Lovlina -- who hails from Assam, in the 75 kg weight class final of the IBA Women's World Boxing Championship in Delhi.

"Lovlina has made us proud and the Assam Assembly today unanimously decided to award her Rs 50 lakh," Sarma said.

"Borgohain is the first Assamese sportsperson to clinch a medal in the Olympics and now a gold at the World Boxing Championship. This is a very special moment for us," the Chief Minister added. IANS

Lovlina Borgohain, who won the Women's World Boxing Championship gold medal on March 26, received Rs 50 lakh from the Assam government on Wednesday.

Assam govt announces Rs 50L reward for boxer Lovlina

Guwahati: Due to security reasons, four aides of absconding Sikh radical preacher Amritpal Singh were brought to Assam's Dibrugarh district on Sunday, according to police sources.  They have been kept at the Dibrugarh Central Jail. An SP-rank officer of the Punjab Police, Superintendent of Police Tejbir Singh Hundal, led the team to shift the four arrested to Assam.  However, neither the Punjab Police team nor any officer from the Assam Police confirmed this.  Dibrugarh Superintendent of Police Shwetank Misra said, "Four arrested persons have been brought here. We will divulge further details later."  The identities of the four people are still unknown.  Meanwhile, outside the Dibrugarh central jail, security has been beefed up. A police source said that the four arrested persons might undergo a marathon interrogation by a joint team of Punjab and Assam Police later in the evening. IANS

Four of the missing Sikh radical preacher Amritpal Singh's aides were transferred to the Dibrugarh jail, for safety purposes on Sunday.

Amritpal Singh's 4 aides flown to Assam's Dibrugarh jail for security reasons (Ld)

Guwahati: Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Wednesday while handing out appointment letters to people who had recently been hired by various state government departments. He said that his administration would soon fulfil the poll promise to provide one lakh jobs to the youth of the state.
As of Wednesday, 161 veterinary personnel and 32 fisheries development officials have received appointment letters from Sarma. Other appointment letters included thirteen for the Department of Industries and Commerce and four for the Department of Public Health and Engineering.
Sarma said his administration is making good progress towards its goal of creating one million government jobs for young people in the state.
Sarma, who spoke at the event, said that hiring talented and competent young people from the state is an important step towards expanding and boosting public service in the areas of fisheries, animal husbandry, and veterinary medicine.
The Chief Minister has stated that the state government is adopting a number of measures to bring in additional momentum in the areas of fishery, animal husbandry, and veterinary medicine, all of which have the potential to accelerate the growth trajectory of the state.
"The government is working to revamp the animal husbandry and veterinary department to make it as competent as the health and family welfare department. New posts for veterinary officials will be created to cater to the treatment requirements of the livestock population of the state," he added.—Inputs from Agencies

 Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Wednesday while handing out appointment letters to people who had recently been hired by various state government departments. He said that his administration would soon fulfil the poll promise to provide one lakh jobs to the youth of the state

 Assam govt to soon fulfil one lakh jobs poll promise: CM

Chief Minister of Assam Himanta Biswa Sarma made the announcement on Wednesday while handing out appointment letters to people who had recently been hired by various state government departments. He said that his administration would soon fulfil the poll promise to provide one lakh jobs to the youth of the state

Guwahati (The Hawk): On Thursday, the Trinamool Congress said that the Assam church survey order amounted to "state-sponsored persecution of Christians" and requested that the Holy See of the Vatican's Embassy bring up the issue with the Indian government in the proper diplomatic fora.
"We wish to apprise you of this extremely serious issue in the state of Assam with an appeal to inform His Holiness Pontifex Maximus as well as The Holy See regarding this state-sponsored persecution of Christians," said Trinamool Congress spokesperson Saket Gokhale in a letter to Reverend Leopoldo Girelli, Apostolic Nuncio to India, Embassy of the Holy See of Vatican.
The Trinamool spokesperson was making reference to the recently contentious Assam Police order requesting statistics on the number of churches in the area as well as information on individuals involved in religious conversion.
Several Trinamool leaders have criticised the Assam government for the polarising action, including its vice president for Meghalaya, George Lyngdoh.
Gokhale claimed in his letter that Assam's government is employing the police and intelligence division "to target and persecute not only the state's Christian clergy, but also people who have chosen to embrace the teachings of Jesus Christ and convert to Christianity."
"According to Article 25 of the Indian Constitution, it is a fundamental right to profess, spread, and practise one's beliefs. Additionally, international laws and the Geneva Convention recognise the freedom to profess any religion or belief as a fundamental human right "added Gokhale.
In addition to using state apparatus and intelligence agencies to deny Christians the right to practise their faith and target those who wish to embrace Christianity, he claimed that through the Assam police circular, the BJP government in the state has now institutionalised the persecution and targeting of Christians and churches.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, responded to the situation by saying earlier that the police should not inquire about the number of churches in the state.
According to Sarma, who previously told the media that he was unaware of the circumstances in which the Superintendent of Police (Special Branch) had issued the letter, this could harm the feelings of a certain religious community.
He had stated, "I have requested the Director General of Police to look into the incident and take necessary steps.
(Inputs from Agencies)

On Thursday, the Trinamool Congress said that the Assam church survey order amounted to "state-sponsored persecution of Christians" and requested that the Holy See of the Vatican's Embassy bring up the issue with the Indian government in the proper diplomatic fora.

Trinamool claims state-sponsored Christian persecution in Assam

Guwahati: Politics in Assam in the year ahead seems to be moving along the polarising highway, political pundits in the state point out. With Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma batting for the Uniform Civil Code and speaking up on love jihad and other polarising issues, understanding the signals does not require a high level of political acumen. Although Assam does not have any major elections slated for next year, the political environment is hot with Sarma at the centre. Three northeastern states -- Tripura, Meghalaya and Nagaland -- will go to the polls in early 2023. However, Assam will remain the epicentre of these state elections as Sarma, chairman of the North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA), will be the primary pulling force for the BJP's election machinery in these states. Meanwhile, Sarma is also eyeing to win at least 22 out of 25 Lok Sabha seats in the N-E 2024. Assam has 14 LS seats, and in the last parliamentary election, the BJP won nine seats. This time the party leaders have set a target to win at least 12 seats, leaving one or two seats that have a large number of Muslim votes. Sarma has formulated a strategy to achieve his target, which he tried and tested in the 2021 state election. He relies on the polarisation of votes. Assam has approximately 30% Muslim voters. The Chief Minister has stated unequivocally that he will not seek Muslim votes because they will not vote for the BJP anyway. A clever politician like Himanta Biswa Sarma knows perfectly well that his provocative statements against the Muslim community will consolidate the Hindu vote bank. He will cultivate this further over the next year, and it may reach its peak before the Lok Sabha elections. When in the Congress, Sarma was known for his liberal image. He enjoyed quite a good following among Muslim voters. Though he started his career with the All Assam Students Union (AASU), Sarma was never seen as an Assamese hardliner. Rather, he was known to be soft towards the Bengali speaking community in Assam, which constitutes nearly one third of the population of the state. Interestingly, in the run-up to the 2016 assembly elections in the state, Sarma garnered an image as a hard-core Assamese leader. He openly advocated 1951 as the base year for updating the National Register of Citizens (NRC) in Assam, which was a long pending demand from AASU and other organizations. His statement caused a stir because, according to the Assam agreement, the NRC update process began with March 25, 1971, as the cut-off date The Congress immediately condemned Sarma's remarks, but the statement helped the BJP gain votes in upper Assam, where the party performed exceptionally well. Sarma also sent a message that they would come down heavily on immigrant Bangladeshi Muslims, which helped to consolidate the Hindu vote bank in favour of the BJP. Sarma further changed his position after the BJP swept to power in Assam. He began to present himself as a Hindu hardliner. On the other hand, opposition unity is at stake in Assam. After breaking away from the grand alliance, the Congress and the All India United Democratic Front (AIUDF) are locked in a tussle. State Congress president Bhupen Bora continues to maintain that they will stay away from the AIUDF. There will be no more alliances while he is president. Even after the Congress abruptly left the grand alliance last year, AIUDF supremo Badruddin Ajmal insisted on fighting elections together to keep the BJP out of power. After the Congress repeatedly rejected his offer, Ajmal has made up his mind to teach the Congress a lesson in the Lok Sabha elections. Ajmal may field strong candidates in minority-dominated seats across Assam, where the Muslim vote is a decisive factor. If Ajmal sticks to his stand, then it will make the Congress' road more difficult in the Lok Sabha elections in Assam. The state today has three Congress MPs in the Lok Sabha. Former Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi's son Gaurav Gogoi is the MP from Kaliabor, while Pradyut Bordoloi and Abdul Khaleque won on Congress tickets from Nagaon and Barpeta the last time. The AIUDF has warned that it will field strong candidates for each of these three seats. If this happens, the Congress may face a debacle in 2024. The AIUDF at present has one Lok Sabha MP, Badruddin Ajmal. He contested the election from the minority-dominated Dhubri seat and may win it again in the next election. The BJP has already kept this seat out of their calculations. Himanta Biswa Sarma wants to consolidate the Hindu votes in the BJP's favour, while he won't mind if Muslims vote heavily for the AIUDF. This might be the trend in the future in Assam, where these two parties will shine in the polls with their polarising politics. —IANS

Politics in Assam in the year ahead seems to be moving along the polarising highway, political pundits in the state point out. With Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma batting for the Uniform Civil Code and speaking up on love jihad and other polarising issues, understanding the signals does not require a high level of political acumen. Although Assam does not have any major elections slated for next year, the political environment is hot with Sarma at the centre.

 Himanta polarises Assam politics as Cong, Ajmal fight it out

Guwahati (The Hawk): The police reported on Monday that a total of five people were detained in the Hailakandi district of Assam for conducting dangerous bike stunts on the national highway.
Five young people were performing bike stunts on the national highway connecting Hailakandi with Karimganj, another nearby district, according to a senior police officer.
Amin Laskar, Abdur Rahman Laskar, Fakrul Islam Laskar, Abdul Aziz, and Iqbal Hussain Majumdar were all apprehended by police.
After one of the group members posted a video on social media, the authorities became interested in the group's bike stunts.
Before, Assam's special DGP G.P. Singh issued a warning to riders who attempted risky feats on the highway.
On Twitter, Singh wrote: "People in Assam are asked to send a Direct Message if they know of any locations or individuals who often engage in stunt motorcycling. The Assam Police may also be made aware of such postings on social media platforms."
In order to reduce road accidents in Assam, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma gave orders to all district administration officers on Monday.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The police reported on Monday that a total of five people were detained in the Hailakandi district of Assam for conducting dangerous bike stunts on the national highway.

5 people detained in Assam for doing bike stunts on a national highway

Guwahati (The Hawk): According to officials, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled 17 development projects totaling Rs 853.15 million in Assam's Jorhat district.
The projects include the Komarbondha-Jorhat Road, the Lachit Maidam and Cultural Project, an integrated DC office in Jorhat, a flyover at Komarbondha over the railway line, etc.
Ajanta Neog, the minister of finance, Pijush Hazarika, the minister of I&amp;PR, the minister of water resources, UG Brahma, and others were present.
"I'm excited to launch so many development initiatives here. I'm hoping that when these improvements are finished, the district's development will pick up steam "Speaking on the occasion, he remarked.
With the laying of foundation stones for new projects and the inauguration of ones that have already been finished, the Assam government is celebrating a "fortnight of development" in 11 districts throughout the state with an investment of Rs 15,000 crore.
The "development fortnight," which the state cabinet approved last month, would be broken up into two halves.
The plan to jump-start infrastructure projects will commence its second phase in January.
Sarma reiterated his government's commitment to Assam's development and claimed that in order for it to happen, the state needed to be free of the "dharna" and "bandh" cultures.
Additionally, he recognised the importance of people in helping to usher in a new era of growth. He also requested support for development from all groups of Assamese citizens.
The Chief Minister added that Assam will undoubtedly rank among the top five states in the nation for performance if current pace of development efforts lasts for ten years.
(Inputs from Agencies)

According to officials, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled 17 development projects totaling Rs 853.15 million in Assam's Jorhat district.

In Jorhat, Assam CM launches development projects worth Rs 853 billion

New Delhi/Guwahati (The Hawk): On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled the second version of "Orunodoi," the state government's flagship programme for giving financially vulnerable households financial security.
Sarma described "Orunodoi" as the largest social-sector initiative in the state's history with the potential to fundamentally alter the lives of millions of its citizens while speaking on the occasion at the ceremonial launch held at the Assam House grounds in the nation's capital.
According to him, the first phase of this social sector scheme saw about 17 lakh women get payments of Rs 1,250 apiece on the 10th of every month using the Direct Benefit Transfer (DBT) system.
The Assam CM stated that there would be more than 27 lakh beneficiaries overall after the addition of an additional 10.5 lakh new beneficiaries starting today.
According to the Chief Minister, the state's poor families will benefit greatly from the guaranteed minimum income flow of Rs 1,250 in achieving the government's goal of reducing poverty.
He added that starting in April 2023, Orunodoi 2.0 would include all current recipients of the Deen Dayal Divyangan Pension Yojana and the Indira Miri Widow Pension Scheme. The "Orunodoi" programme would also cover Divyangans and transgender people.
Households with members who are dwarfs or who have diseases like cerebral palsy, thalassemia, haemophilia, etc. will also be covered by the Orunodoi programme, he continued.
According to the state government, a survey conducted during Orunodoi Month revealed that 2.75 lakh beneficiaries under the "Orunodoi" programme had been removed from the list of eligible beneficiaries because, among other things, some had passed away and others had been found to be ineligible for the programme.
(Inputs from Agencies)

On Wednesday, Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma unveiled the second version of "Orunodoi," the state government's flagship programme for giving financially vulnerable households financial security.

Assam government introduces "Orunodoi 2.0" to benefit over 10L people

Guwahati (The Hawk): In Guwahati, Assam Police reportedly confiscated a sizable quantity of drugs estimated to be worth Rs 14 crore, according to police.
According to a senior police officer, the drug seizure happened on Tuesday night, and Mirajaul Islam has been arrested on drug trafficking-related charges.
An operation was carried out by a group of Guwahati municipal police under the direction of Joint Commissioner of Police Partha Sarathi Mahanta and ADCP Kalyan Pathak.
During the raid, police found 200 grammes of heroin and 50,000 yaba tablets in an ambulance.
According to Mahanta, the ambulance was travelling from the state of Manipur and had a Manipur registration number. The shipment of illegal goods was seized once the vehicle was stopped.
The police officer said, "We calculate that the market worth of these substances is 14.10 crore."
(Inputs from Agencies)

In Guwahati, Assam Police reportedly confiscated a sizable quantity of drugs estimated to be worth Rs 14 crore, according to police. According to a senior police officer, the drug seizure happened on Tuesday night, and Mirajaul Islam has been arrested on drug trafficking-related charges.

In Guwahati, drugs worth Rs 14 crore were seized

Guwahati (The Hawk): An evacuation tunnel together with the main tunnel were successfully drilled, officials announced on Monday, marking a significant accomplishment in the Sivok-Rangpo railway line project.
According to Northeast Frontier Railways' Chief Public Relations Officer Sabyasachi De, this new rail link project is around 45 km long and features 14 tunnels, 13 major bridges, 10 minor bridges, and 4 new stations.
A total of 38 km of the project's alignment are tunnels, and 63% of the tunnelling construction has already been finished.
In order to finish the project by the end of next year, he continued, "at the moment, all the activities relating to the building of tunnels, bridges, and station yards are operating on a war footing basis.
In the presence of the Project Director, Chief General Manager, and other officers of Ircon International Limited, Northeast Frontier Railway, the Amberg Engineering (Detail Design Consultancy) team, construction company ABCI Infrastructure Pvt. Ltd., as well as local administration, "Tunnel No. 11" in the Kalimpong district of West Bengal was bored on Saturday.
Between Tarkhola and Tumlangkhola in Kalimpong, there is a main tunnel that is 3.2 km long and an evacuation tunnel that is 960 m long.
The lower Himalayas' complex and unstable geology is traversed by the tunnel. The New Austrian Tunnelling Method, the most advanced tunnelling technology, has been used in this and all other tunnels in the Sivok-Rangpo train project to combat the fragility of the groundmass.
Officials stated that the initiative "involves not just the best and most experienced experts from India, but also highly experienced foreign engineers."
This railway line would connect Pakyong in Sikkim with the West Bengal districts of Kalimpong and Darjeeling.
(Inputs from Agencies)

An evacuation tunnel together with the main tunnel were successfully drilled, officials announced on Monday, marking a significant accomplishment in the Sivok-Rangpo railway line project.

Breakthrough evacuation tunnel for Sivok-Rangpo railway line

Guwahati (The Hawk): Along the Assam-Nagaland border in the Karbi Anglong district, Assam Police officers detained three people and seized drugs worth Rs 7 crore, according to officials on Friday.
A police officer reported that late on Thursday night, a police team stopped two lorries in the Khatkhati region near the Assam-Nagaland border and found 30,000 extremely addictive Yaba tablets and 757.15 gm of heroin.
A case was filed under the Narcotic Drugs and Psychotropic Substances Act, 1985 (NDPS Act) after the arrest of three drug dealers.
Police assume that the drugs were transported from Myanmar as Nagaland shares a 215-km-long unfenced border with the bordering country.
Himanta Biswa Sarma, the chief minister of Assam, expressed his gratitude for the police's efforts in a tweet that read, "Yet another huge catch by Assam police. Police intercepted two trucks, coming from neighbouring states, and seized 30,000 Yaba tablets &amp; 55 soap cases containing 757.15 gramme Heroin. Also apprehended three accused. Good job."
(Inputs from Agencies)

Along the Assam-Nagaland border in the Karbi Anglong district, Assam Police officers detained three people and seized drugs worth Rs 7 crore, according to officials on Friday.

Drugs worth Rs 7 crore recovered at Assam-Nagaland border; 3 arrested

Guwahati (The Hawk): A group of unknown criminals uploaded a message about the Shraddha Walkar-like crime on social media on Wednesday in an effort to harm Assamese communal harmony.
The state police responded quickly, labelling it "false" news and claiming that it was copied from a Portuguese site.
The miscreants stated that Assam had experienced an incidence similar to Shraddha and called it "Love-Jihad."
"Seven Muslim lads first raped a female named Kajal who was living with them before packing her alive in a refrigerator. Kajal was in a live-in relationship. She passed away from a cold, and her live-in partner Ghaffar and his friends would regularly remove the body from the refrigerator to engage in necrophilia for eight days."
The Assam police's cyber cell acted fast and discovered that the message was a hoax.
Assam police stated on Twitter, "On social media, an image from a Portuguese blog from 2010 is being spread with an entirely fake context. Anyone discovered spreading such messages will face the appropriate consequences."
A senior police official advised the public to use extreme caution when responding to these kinds of social media remarks.
There is an investigation going on.
(Inputs from Agencies)

A group of unknown criminals uploaded a message about the Shraddha Walkar-like crime on social media on Wednesday in an effort to harm Assamese communal harmony.

In Assam, a fake post on Shraddha Walkar gets viral; the police provides clarification

Guwahati (The Hawk): The state administration has agreed to rebuild the roads in the Dima Hasao area that were destroyed during the severe monsoon floods earlier this year in addition to building new concrete bridges.
Nearly Rs 3,800 crore has been set aside for this.
The official continued, "The Central government has given its clearance to both of these initiatives."
At the meeting on Thursday, Sarma also disclosed that the Public Works (Roads) Department is carrying out a number of significant projects across the state in collaboration with the World Bank and Asian Development Bank.
These were the Guwahati-North Guwahati Bridge, valued at Rs 2,608 crore, and the Palasbari-Suwalkuchi Bridge, valued at Rs 3,197 crore.
The state administration has already set a timetable of March 2026 for finishing all key road projects in the state, according to the chief minister.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The state administration has agreed to rebuild the roads in the Dima Hasao area that were destroyed during the severe monsoon floods earlier this year in addition to building new concrete bridges.

1,100 timber bridges in Assam will be replaced with concrete ones

Guwahati (The Hawk): The Assam government has decided to draught a new standard operating procedure (SOP) against using lethal weapons while controlling angry mobs in sensitive inter-state bordering zones, officials said on Thursday, in response to the simmering tensions at the Assam-Meghalaya border caused by a police shooting that killed six people earlier this week.
The choice was made on Wednesday during a state cabinet meeting held in the nation's capital in conjunction with Lachit Barphukan's 400th birthday celebration.
We have learned that the conference included a thorough discussion of the border violence issue.
Jayanta Mallabaruah, the minister of tourism for Assam, said: "The state cabinet has given its consent for the creation of a SOP, particularly for manuals that encourage the use of lethal weapons in sensitive areas along interstate boundaries. It will decide what tools or techniques must be employed to subdue a rioting mob in order to prevent similar situations in the future."
He added that the new SOP would be prepared by the state's Home and Forest Departments.
Before firing to disperse the mob, the police may have exercised greater caution, according to Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma.
He pointed the finger at the cops and said that they had fired without cause.
In the West Jaintia Hills area of Meghalaya's Mukroh village on Tuesday, the Assam Police and forest guards stopped a truck transporting lumber. After that, a huge number of villagers arrived at the scene and encircled the police and forest guards, which resulted in shooting.
As a result, five civilians and a forest guard from Assam perished.
Since then, the village and several sections of the 885-km interstate border have been tense, forcing the deployment of additional security forces by both neighbouring states in the sensitive areas.
(Inputs from Agencies)

The Assam government has decided to draught a new standard operating procedure (SOP) against using lethal weapons while controlling angry mobs in sensitive inter-state bordering zones, officials said on Thursday, in response to the simmering tensions at the Assam-Meghalaya border caused by a police shooting that killed six people earlier this week.

To prevent interstate violence, the Assam government would create a SOP

Shillong/Guwahati (The Hawk): An official said that a Meghalaya cabinet delegation would soon meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to demand a thorough investigation into Tuesday's shooting by the Assam Police in the West Jaintia Hills district that killed five Meghalayan civilians and an Assam forest guard by the NIA or the CBI.
An official spokeswoman announced that the Meghalaya government would also establish a judicial panel in accordance with the Commissions of Enquiry Act of 1952 to investigate all facets of the firing incident.
He claimed that on Tuesday night, the Meghalaya cabinet convened under the leadership of Chief Minister Conrad K. Sangma and went over the incident that occurred in West Jaintia Hills' Mukroh hamlet in great detail.
Lahkmen Rymbui, the minister of the interior, attended the scene of the accident right away and reported back.
According to the spokesman, the cabinet decided to cancel all festivals in all of Meghalaya and postpone all government programmes until November 30 as a gesture of respect to those who died in the event.
The Meghalaya cabinet team will meet with the National Human Rights Commission while in Delhi to meet with the Union Home Minister, and a thorough report will be given to the commission.
The government of Meghalaya, according to the spokesman, would form a Special Investigation Team (SIT) under the direction of the Deputy Inspector General, Eastern Range, to look into the shooting incident on Tuesday.
"The SIT will begin conducting the investigation while we make an application to the Government of India for a central body to take over the probe. The probe will be given to them once the Government of India has granted the appeal "It was stated in a statement.
On Wednesday, the Chief Minister, Deputy Chief Minister, and a few Cabinet Ministers would travel to Mukroh hamlet to meet with the bereaved family and present ex-gratia payments of Rs 5 lakh to each of the families' next of kin.
Speaking to the media, Sangma claimed that his Assam counterpart, Himanta Biswa Sarma, had informed him over the phone that the West Karbi Anglong superintendent of police has been transferred, along with the officer in charge of the Zirikinding Police Station (in Assam) and the Forest Range Protection Officer in charge of the area who were involved in the incident.
According to Sangma's report on Sarma, "The Assam government would be taking required actions to investigate the matter in consultation with the Meghalaya government."
The Assam government has pledged to work with Meghalaya on any demands the state makes of the federal government in order to see that justice is done and those who commit crimes are punished, according to the Meghalaya Chief Minister.
The five Meghalayan people were killed earlier on Tuesday afternoon when Assam Police and forest guards approached Mukroh hamlet in West Jaintia Hills and used "unprovoked" gunfire.
In the shooting, a forest guard from Assam also perished.
When a vehicle carrying timber was stopped by the Assam Police and forest guards in Mukroh village, many residents of the area arrived to the scene and encircled the police, prompting the latter to open fire.
(Inputs from Agencies)

An official said that a Meghalaya cabinet delegation would soon meet with Union Home Minister Amit Shah to demand a thorough investigation into Tuesday's shooting by the Assam Police in the West Jaintia Hills district that killed five Meghalayan civilians and an Assam forest guard by the NIA or the CBI.

Meghalaya will urge an NIA or CBI investigation into the Assam-Meghalaya border shooting

Guwahati (The Hawk): Officials reported that at least four persons, including a forest guard, were killed on Tuesday in a police shooting that occurred after a fight broke out in a village in Assam's West Karbi Anglong district close to the Meghalayan border.
According to reports, the tragedy also harmed a number of other villagers.
Imdad Ali, the West Karbi Anglong district's superintendent of police, reported that at around three in the morning, representatives from the forest department stopped a truck carrying illicit wood from the district's most isolated Mukro hamlet.
The truck sped up as it tried to elude the forest guards as they approached to seize the unlawful cargo.
The guards started firing and punched the car's tyre. Others were able to escape the scene, but only three persons were caught, including the vehicle's driver and handyman.
The forest officials subsequently made a request for more police officers at the nearby police station in Zirikending.
The police said that when a squad arrived there, a sizable group of people from Meghalaya "gheraoed" them with sharp objects.
The enraged mob demanded the release of individuals who had been detained. To disperse the hostile mob, the police squad had to start shooting. The officer said, "Three Khasi community members and a forest home guard were murdered in the firing."
A police unit arrived on the site in the interim.
The distance between the village and the district office is six hours by car.
(Inputs from Agencies)

Officials reported that at least four persons, including a forest guard, were killed on Tuesday in a police shooting that occurred after a fight broke out in a village in Assam's West Karbi Anglong district close to the Meghalayan border.

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