Assam CM wants neutral agency to probe border clash with Mizoram

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma Saturday questioned the rationale behind the Mizoram government registering an FIR against him and six state officials over the recent border clash when its place of occurrence is within his state's "constitutional territory".

Sarma said he will be "very happy" to join the probe but wondered why is it not being handed over to a "neutral agency".

The Mizoram police had lodged an FIR against Sarma and six officials under various charges including those related to attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy at Vairengte police station late on Monday after a gun fight between Mizoram and the Assam police. The FIR, however, became public on Friday.

The clashes, which also involved civilians from the two northeastern states, left six Assam police personnel and a civilian dead.

Responding to the development, Sarma tweeted, "Will be very happy to join in any investigation".

"..... But why is the case not being handed over to a neutral agency, especially when the place of occurrence is well within the constitutional territory of Assam."

Sarma said he has conveyed as much to his Mizoram counterpart Zoramthanga.

The four police officials named in the FIR are IGP Anurag Agarwal, Cachar DIG Debojyoti Mukherjee, Cachar SP Vaibhav Chandrakant Nimbalkar and Officer in Charge of Dholai police station Sahabuddin.

Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli and Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Choudhury have also been booked under the same charges.

The officials have been asked to appear at the police station on August one.

Mizoram police have also registered cases against 200 unidentified Assam police personnel.

Assam Police, too, has issued summonses to six officials of the Mizoram government, including deputy commissioner of Kolasib district H Lalthlangliana and superintendent of police Vanlalfaka Ralte, and ordered them to appear at Dholai police station on August two in connection with the clashes.

Other officials posted in Kolasib district who have been summoned are -- Additional SP David JB, Vairangte Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) C Lalrempuia, 1st India Reserve Battalion Additional SP Bruce Kibby and Vairangte Sub-divisional Police Officer Thartea Hrangchal.

An Assam Police team, including officers of the CID, are in New Delhi to take "lawful action" against Rajya Sabha MP K Vanlalvena who in a media interview had reportedly made some statements indicative of his active role in the conspiracy, Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh had said earlier.

Assam police, meanwhile, is also updating a picture gallery of Mizoram police personnel and civilians who allegedly fired at the contingent of the state police on July 26 resulting in casualties.

A reward of Rs five lakh has been announced for information that leads to the arrest of "each of the individuals involved in the barbaric killing of the Assam Police personnel on July 26".