Nagaland-Assam border row: Police clarify on gunshot report

Dimapur, May 28 (EMN): The superintendent of police, Mokokchung, Vishal, said that Assam police fired several rounds of assault rifle at Vikuto village on Thursday, following which the villagers ‘fired two rounds of muzzle loading’ in retaliation.

The police stated this in a report submitted to Director General of Police, Nagaland, in connection with the firing incident at Vikuto village.

His statement came close on the heels of report that miscreants from Nagaland had fired at Congress MLA Rupjyoti Kurmi from Assam while visiting a village in Dessoi Valley forest in Jorhat district on Thursday.

However, Vishal stated in his brief report that ‘Assam Forest department officials and Assam Police had visited Vikuto village without any prior information to district authorities on May 25 and told the villagers not to cultivate or initiate any activities and destroyed around 500 Arecanut plantations as well as damaged a few huts’.

“Further, on 27th May 2021 at around 1300 has it was reported that MLA Rup Jyoti Kurmi along with Assam Police and around 60-70 Assam villagers came to the same spot and started destroying the plantations, and as retaliation the villages gathered and shouted back.

“On hearing the noises the Assam police fired five rounds of assault rifle, suspected to be INSAS 5.56 mm rifle while withdrawing from the spot. And as retaliation, the Vikuto villagers fired two rounds of muzzle loading,” read the report.

The police officer went on to state that situation is tensed but under control. “One section of IR personnel will be deployed at Vikuto village by tomorrow (Friday) to contain the tensed situation. Inquiry being taken up at Longthu PS in the matter,” he added.

It may be mentioned that reports surfaced on Thursday about shots being fired at Assam legislator Kurmi, his security team and a group of journalists while they were on a visit to the border area.

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had expressed deep concern over the incident and ordered Special DGP (Law and Order) Gyanendra Pratap Singh to investigate the matter at the spot.