7 more bodies recovered in Assam, govt bans bandhs for a month

Two bodies were recovered from Dhemaji and five others from Dhubri, Chirang, Baksa and Kokrajhar districts late last night and this morning, official sources said, adding most of the bodies were those of relief camp refugees.

"The toll now stands at 95," Assam IGP (Law and Order) L R Bishnoi told PTI.

"Army is staging flag marches and police and security forces are maintaining 24-hour vigil in the disturbed areas," he said.

Indefinite curfew was clamped from 5 pm in Sonitpur in central Assam, which witnessed violence yesterday during the bandh called by the All Assam Minority Students' Union, the fifth district to be brought under curfew. Night curfew was continuing in Dhubri, Kokrajhar, Chirang and Baksa districts.

Meanwhile, with the Centre worried over some organisations trying to stoke social tension by calling bandhs, the state government officially declared a ban on all shutdowns for a month.

"The decision to impose a ban on bandhs was taken during a meeting of a high-powered committee on law and order headed by Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi," government spokesman Nilomoni Sen Deka said. (MORE)