One person died today when police resorted to cane charge in an effort to control a unruly mob protesting the killing of a businessman and his daughter by suspected ULFA(I) terrorists.
Nandalal Shah, a businessman and his daughter were killed, while his wife, son and nephew were injured in indiscriminate firing by suspected ULFA(I) militants at his home in Bijuliban village under Pengeri police station last night.
Several organisations had called a 12-hour-long Tinsukia bandh today and held protests across the district against the killing.
During the protests, the crowd started getting violent and the police had to resort to cane charge to bring the situation under control, a senior police officer said.
"Some persons sustained minor injuries during the police action and one Dinabandhu Sarma later succumbed to his injuries at the Doomdooma Public Health Centre," he said.
"The police fired in the air to disperse the unruly mob, but no one was injured in the firing," the officer said.
After the new of Sarma's death spread, a large number people gathered outside the hospital and protested against the cane charge.
Following last night's incident and today's police action, Tinsukia SP Arnab Deka was transferred, while Karbi Anglong SP Mugdhajyoti Dev Mahanta has been posted in his place.
Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Puru Gupta has announced Rs five lakh compensation to the next of kin of each of the deceased and Rs 2.5 lakh to each of the injured persons in the last night's militant attack.
