Assam: Indefinite curfew clamped in Rangiya

Indefinite curfew was today clamped in Rangiya revenue circle in Kamrup (Rural) district, where a mob torched a vehicle and damaged several others.

District administration sources said indefinite curfew has been clamped as a precautionary measure after the mob turned violent during a blockade at National Highway 31 to protest against torching of a car and its driver going missing in neighbouring Baksa district last night.

Rangiya SDO Barnali Deka escaped unhurt when the mob tried to attack her vehicle forcing the police to fire in the air to disperse the crowd.

One person has been detained by the police for today's incident in Rangiya.

Kamrup (Rural) district was so far unaffected by violence between tribal Bodos and members of the minority that has claimed 77 lives since late last month in Kokrajhar, Chirang, Dhubri and Baksa districts of lower Assam.

Earlier report:

Fresh incidents of violence were reported in Assam's Baksa and Kamrup (Rural) districts where unidentified persons set ablaze a car, a bus and a wooden bridge.

Baksa, in lower Assam and under Bodoland Territorial Autonomous District (BTAD), was one of the districts affected in the recent clashes between Bodos and minorities that claimed 77 lives so far.

In an incident related to these clashes, a car was set ablaze at Gandhibari in Baksa district last night and its driver, Sahidul Hussain, has been missing since then.

The car was returning from Baksa to Rangiya in neighbouring Kamrup (Rural) district.

After the news reached Rangiya, angry local residents blocked NH-31 at Udiana Chowk under Rangiya police station since early this morning to protest against the incident, sources said today.

During the blockade, some people set ablaze a bus going towards Guwahati at Bhatkuchi and a wooden bridge at Kekahati, both under Rangiya police station.

Police fired in the air to disperse the protestors who scattered for some time only to return again and tension prevails in the area, the sources said.

Senior police and civil officials have rushed to the spot, sources added.