Guwahati, Nov. 2 (PTI): Assam police Friday launched a "massive combing operation" to nab those involved in the killing of five people, including three members of a family, in Tinsukia district.
Police suspect the gunmen belonged to the ULFA (Independent) faction as they were dressed in battle fatigue, but the outfit has denied its involvement in the attack.
A group of assailants had called out six people at Kheronibari village three from their home and as many from a local shop around 8pm on Thursday.
They then took them to the edge of Dhola-Sadiya bridge in the area and opened indiscriminate fire, killing five of them on spot.
One of them fell off the bridge and survived the firing.
Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia and Additional DGP Mukesh rushed to Tinsukia, shortly after the incident, to review the law and order situation.
Talking to media in Guwahati, Saikia said, "A massive combing operation has been launched to nab the accused. No one involved in the incident will be allowed to escape. Since last night (Thursday), we have started several operations to nab the culprits."
Asked about the involvement of ULFA factions in the killings, he said, "It isn't about taking random names. We will take action as per law."
The lone survivor in the incident, identified as Sahadeb Namasudra, told reporters Friday morning he had a "providential escape" as he fell off the edge of the bridge, where the gunmen had lined up the six persons and shot five of them dead.
Though he did not sustain injuries, he fell unconscious out of fear and nervousness.
On regaining consciousness, he found one of the five persons still alive beside him, Namasudra claimed, adding that the man died before any arrangement for help could be made.
Publicity Department member of the ULFA(I) Romel Asom, in a statement e-mailed to PTI here, said, "The ULFA (I) would like to make it clear to all authorities concerned that our organisation does not have any involvement in the firing incident last night."
In view of Thursday night's attack, security has been beefed up in the state with Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal directing all deputy commissioners and superintendents of police to remain alert.
"Strong action will be taken against the perpetrators of this dastardly violence. We will not tolerate such cowardly act," Sonowal said.
Water Resource Minister Keshav Mahanta and Minister of State for Power Tapan Gogoi have reached Tinsukia.
Political parties and organisations across the state have condemned the killings and demanded that the culprits be immediately nabbed.
A bandh, called by All Assam Bengali Federation, was being observed on Friday in the district, in protest against the attack.
Vehicles were off roads and shops were closed. No untoward incident was reported till 9 am, a police officer said.
Meanwhile, Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti leader Akhil Gogoi said "a third force" might be responsible for Thursday's attack.
Talking to a local TV channel, Gogoi said, "A third force may be involved in the killing, as some BJP, RSS, and Congress leaders have been making inflammatory remarks, of late, against the Assamese-Bengali communal harmony."
Veteran Congress leader Tarun Gogoi on Friday demanded a CBI enquiry into the killing of five persons by unidentified gunmen at Dhola in Tinsukia district.
Addressing a press conference here, the former chief minister said the Assam government has totally failed on the law and order front and a fear psychosis has gripped the entire state.
There is doubt over the state government's capability to nab the culprits, he said.
"We demand a CBI enquiry into the incident. We doubt whether the government will be able to nab the culprits," he said.
"Who is responsible for it? Is it the ULFA(I) or somebody else?" he asked.
Condemning the incident strongly, Gogoi demanded that the perpetrators should be apprehended and brought to book without any delay.
"The current government is equally to be blamed for what happened. It has failed to protect the lives of innocent people and this clearly points to the failure of law and order. People of Assam are living in fear and anxiety," he added.
Stating that the home department failed to discharge its duties, Gogoi said the incident is a result of failure of the central and state intelligence services.
Even the local MLA of Sadiya constituency Bolin Chetia has admitted today that the police have failed. The police is under the chief minister, who is also in charge of the home department," he said.
"We want to know if there were any intelligence inputs. If yes, was the government informed and what actions were taken to prevent such an incident?" he questioned.
Gogoi also blamed the state government for not taking action against people, who have, in recent times, made provocative statements in the public.
"We condemn Shiladitya Dev (BJP MLA), Jiten Dutta (pro-talk ULFA member) and all others who have made provocative comments. They are all responsible for the current situation. It is unfortunate that the government took no action against them all this time. What has happened now is due to the government's failure to act against such elements," he added.
Meanwhile, Congress workers staged a protest outside the state headquarters Rajiv Bhawan on Friday afternoon against the Dhola incident.
Trinamool Congress MP Abhishek Banerjee on Friday sought a court-monitored inquiry into the killing of five Bengali-speaking people in Assam's Tinsukia district and called for the resignation of the neighbouring state's chief minister over the incident.
TMC Youth Congress president Abhishek Banerjee, who is also the nephew of West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, took out a rally Friday morning from Jadavpur 8B bus stand to Hazra crossing, in south Kolkata, to protest against Thursday's incident.
"We demand Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal's resignation and a court-monitored inquiry into the killing of five Bengalis. We don't have any faith in the CBI, as it is busy with its power tussle," the TMC leader said while addressing the rally here.
The party organised similar protest rallies across the state to condemn the killings.
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After Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal Friday blamed inflammatory speeches by individuals and organisations for the killing of five people in Tinsukia district, police arrested two pro-talk ULFA leaders for making provocative statements on various occasions.
The two pro-talk faction United Liberation Front of Assam leaders Jiten Dutta and Mrinal Hazarika were arrested from separate places, police said.
"We have arrested Jiten Dutta and Mrinal Hazarika for making provocative statements," Assam Director General of Police Kuladhar Saikia told PTI.
He said police would take strong action against anyone making insensitive comments.
Police said Hazarika was arrested after interrogation at Panbazar police station in Guwahati, while Dutta was picked up from Sivasagar.
Police suspect anti-talk ULFA (Independent) was behind the killings, though the faction has denied involvement in the incident.
Unidentified gunmen in battle fatigue shot dead five persons, including three members of a family, near Kheronibari village after taking them there from their homes in the village.
The ruling BJP said the killing was a result political parties, the media and individuals continuously making provocative statements on sensitive issues such as the NRC and the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill. Chief Minister Sonowal too blamed "inflammatory statements" by a section of political parties and the media for the killing on Thursday night.
The NRC was being updated in Assam and over 40 lakh applicants were left out in its complete draft published on July 30. The NRC was meant to include the names of all Indian citizens who have been residing in Assam before March 25, 1971.
Assam has been facing influx of people of Bangladesh for many years.
Assam government has been appealing to the people not to make inflammatory statements on such sensitive matters.
