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2 locals held for inciting violence during Assam eviction drive, say police
District police officials familiar with the development said two locals were arrested in connection with the violence which erupted during an eviction drive in Assam’s Darrang district last week.
Assam Police on Monday arrested two persons for allegedly instigating violence during last week’s eviction drive in Darrang district, in which two civilians were killed and nearly 20 others, including 11 policemen, were injured.
The clashes between those who were being evicted and the police took place on September 23 at Dholpur-3 village, located nearly 65 km away from Guwahati.
District police officials familiar with the development said Chand Mamud, 47, a resident of Kirakara village and Asmat Ali Ahmed, 37, of Dholpur 3 were arrested in connection with a case registered at Sipajhar police station under several sections of Indian Penal Code, including criminal conspiracy, unlawful assembly, rioting with deadly weapon, wrongful restraint, causing grievous hurt to deter public servant from doing duty, assault and attempt to murder.
Both are representatives of panchayat bodies in Dholpur.
“The two were arrested for instigating the people to attack the police during the eviction drive. They were responsible for inciting violence in the area, which left two persons dead and several others injured, including 11 policemen,” a district official was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
The areas where the eviction drives are underway are part of Assam government’s Garukhuti Project, which aims to remove encroachers from 77,420 ‘bighas’ (25,595 acres) of land located on a massive sandbar close to the Brahmaputra river to hold agricultural and other allied activities for indigenous youths in the region.
This year’s state budget mentioned that the government plans to “develop this cluster as a beacon of resurgent Assam” and earmarked ₹9.6 crore for it. Residents of these areas mostly comprise Bengali-speaking Muslims, many of whom are engaged in agriculture.
Following the incident last week, the Assam government had decided to institute a judicial inquiry by a retired judge of Gauhati High Court.
Assuring rehabilitation to deserving landless residents who have been evicted, chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had alleged on Saturday that there is evidence that the Popular Front of India (PFI) was involved in the violence during the eviction drive and has written to the Centre to ban the outfit. The PFI, however, denied the charge.
