Mob attack: Assam Cong fact-finding team to visit Batadrava in Nagaon

Guwahati: A seven-member team from Assam Pradesh Congress Committee (APCC) will make a ground assessment of the situation and circumstances triggering the mob attack on Batadrava police station in Nagaon district following the alleged custodial death of a villager on Saturday.

Assam PCC president Bhupen Kumar Borah on Sunday constituted a seven-member committee to visit Batadrava constituency immediately to interact with people and study the causes leading to the arson, attack on police personnel and mob vandalism at the police station.

The committee, headed by Assam PCC working president Rana Goswami as chairman, comprises Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora and two other legislators, Nurul Huda and Abdul Batin Khandakar as members.

Besides, Nagaon district Congress committee president Suresh Bora, Assam PCC general secretary Swapan Kumar Mandal and Nagaon Municipal Board ward commissioner Abdul Kadir are also in the visiting team as members.

“The committee will study in detail and interact with various people to find out the root cause of the incident and submit a report to the Assam PCC president within two days,” a statement from APCC said on Sunday.

Assam PCC president Borah informed that the committee would assess the entire situation in the area and circumstances leading to the incident and submit a report within 48 hours.

“We will make the facts and findings of our committee known once we get the report. As it is, I have been in constant touch with Batadrava MLA Sibamoni Bora who is already there at the site of occurrence,” he said.

“The incident has led to unwanted circumstances. While we are against people taking law in their hands, we do not support any action against residents whose houses have been demolished at Salonabori village,” Borah said.

“It is astounding to know that many houses of local people have been demolished by the bulldozers. The fact that the officer-in-charge of the police station has been suspended only proves how negligent the police have been in regard to preventing the tense situation,” the APCC chief said.

Meanwhile, police have arrested seven persons for torching the local police station and detained several others comprising part of the mob that attacked on-duty police personnel at the police station.

Addressing mediapersons after taking stock of the situation at the place of occurrence on Sunday, special DGP (law and order), Assam, G.P Singh, informed that a special investigation team (SIT) would inquire into the incident while an independent investigation would be conducted into the alleged custodial death.

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