Assam mulling NIA probe into Mizoram death, border standoff continues

Aizawl/Silchar (Assam), Nov 4 (IANS): The Assam government is mulling to hand over the case of death of 48-year-old man from the state in Mizoram to the NIA while the seven-day-long imbroglio along the inter-state borders continued on Tuesday despite visits by top officials.

Assam Environment and Forest Minister Parimal Suklabaidya said that the state government would institute an inquiry into the killing of Intyaz Ali (48) and is deliberating if the case should be handed over to the National Investigation Agency.

“Suklabaidya handed over a cheque of INR 5 lakh as ex-gratia from the state government to the father of Intyaz Ali, who was abducted by Mizo miscreants and killed,” an Assam government release said.

Mizoram Home Secretary Lalbiaksangi, in a letter to her Assam counterpart, had said that Intyaz Ali, a resident of southern Assam’s Lailapur, was detained in the state’s Kolasib district on Sunday with drugs and he was then referred to a health centre for a checkup but was found dead on Monday.

Deputy Inspector General of Police, Southern Assam Range, Dilip Kumar Dey, however, had told the media that Ali’s brother informed the police on Sunday that Ali went to jungle to collect firewood and the Mizoram Police detained him.

Accompanied by Chief Secretary Jishnu Barua, Director General of Police Bhaskarjyoti Mahanta and Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli, the Minister on Tuesday visited Lailapur along the inter-state border to take stock of the law and order situation.

Suklabaidya, who represents the area, has asked the people living close to the border not to cross over to the other side in view of the prevailing situation and assured them three border outposts would be set up permanently for their safety and security.

The Chief Secretary and the DGP told the media at Lailapur that Assam would not budge from an inch of its territory.

“Assam won’t give up its constitutional boundary with the neighbour. The land belongs to us. There is no second opinion about our constitutional boundary.Assam wants the boundary row to be resolved peacefully and amicably,” Barua said, as per the official release.

Barua said that the state government is in constant touch with the Central Government at the highest level on the border row and exuded optimism that the problem would be resolved amicably.

Assam Chief Minister Sarbananda Sonowal had on Monday sent an urgent letter to Union Home Minister Amit Shah to apprise him of the situation.

Mizoram Chief Secretary Lalnunmawia Chuaungo had, in a letter to his Assam counterpart, said that the blockade on the NH 306 continued despite assurance from Assam government during the virtual meeting held under the chairmanship of Union Home Secretary Ajay Kumar Bhalla last week.

He requested Barua to provide security escort to the oil tankers and vehicles carrying POL (petroleum, oil, lubricant) and cooking gas.

Due to the NH 306 blockade at Lailapur, over 250 Mizoram bound goods-laden vehicles are stuck as the agitators in southern Assam refused to call off their protest unless Mizoram withdraws its security personnel from Assam.

Lingering since October 9, the situation along the 164.6-km Assam-Mizoram border took an ugly turn when around 20 shops and houses were burnt and over 50 people sustained injuries in the attacks and counter-attacks by people on either side on October 17.

The trouble resurfaced on October 28 in Assam’s Cachar and Karimganj, which border Mizoram’s Mamit and Kolasib.