Assam ethnic strife: Fresh violence grips Kokrajhar; 9 injured

Fresh violence gripped this trouble-torn Assam district leaving at least nine seriously injured while unrest spread to Kamrup (rural) which reported arson and police firing on Thursday.

"Around 12:30 pm miscreants threw acid on an autorickshaw carrying members of a minority family at Gossaigaon town of Kokrajhar district seriously injuring nine travellers," police said.

The situation in the town was tense since the incident and the injured were taken to nearby Dhubri civil hospital for treatment, they said.

Night curfew is on in the district from 9 pm, while day curfew had been relaxed.

Violence spread to Kamrup (rural), which had been unaffected in the recent Bodo-minority immigrants violence, where a group of people torched several vehicles at Rangiya area during the day.

A bus on way to Guwahati was set ablaze at Bhatkuchi, while several other vehicles stranded on the highway were damaged and a wooden bridge set afire at Kekahati by a mob protesting against the torching of a car at Gandhibari in neighbouring Baksa district last night, police said.

The driver of the car had gone missing since the incident.

The mob, which blocked Udiana Chowk in Rangiya in protest since early morning, also tried to attack the vehicle of Rangiya SDO Barnali Deka, forcing the police to use tear gas and fire in the air to disperse them. Deka was, however, reported to be safe, the police said.

The army staged a flag march at Rangiya area after the incidents, the sources said, adding top district officials are also camping there.

The situation in Kamrup (Rural) was stated to be tense but under control.

More than 77 people had lost their lives and scores were injured with nearly four lakh rendered homeless in one of the worst-ever clashes recently.

Meanwhile, Assam government has intensified security in and around Guwahati railway station where two special trains carrying panic stricken students and professionals are expected to reach here tomorrow from Bangalore.

"We do not want the situation to aggravate as the passengers will be thronged by the electronic media and any unwanted statement may have an impact over the volatile situation," a senior police official said.