Two killed in Assam police firing, curfew imposed

Guwahati, April 29 (IANS) Two people were killed and seven others injured Monday after police opened fire to disperse an irate mob in Assam, forcing the administration to impose indefinite curfew in the violence-affected area.

Assam's Inspector General of Police (Law and Order) S.N. Singh said the incident took place after the recovery of a man's body from Rakshasini area of Goalpara district. The victim, Taher Ali, had been missing since Sunday evening.

"The area people attacked policemen who reached the spot to recover the body, which was buried. Hundreds of locals pelted stones at police and damaged their vehicles," said Singh.

To disperse the crowd, police resorted to firing that led to the death of two people on the spot and injury to others, he said.

"We are trying to investigate into the killing of Taher Ali. We suspect that Ali had been killed and buried," he said.

Some of the people injured in police firing were shifted to Guwahati and the condition of two of them was stated to be serious, he said.

Home Secretary G.D. Tripathy said indefinite curfew had been imposed in the area.

In February, violence rocked the district when the government held panchayat polls in the district, and over 20 people were killed in police firing as well as group clashes.