HT DIGITAL
GUWAHATI, JULY 21: In a sinister attack in the run-up to the Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR) council elections, a young man named Rebo Boro was shot in the leg by Golap Kachari at Poskia-Hatibandha village in Kalaigaon police station in Assam’s Udalguri district on Saturday evening. The assault, based on personal vendetta, has heightened public alarm about the use of illegal guns in the Bodo belt.
The reports say that it was at the time Rebo Boro and five others were sitting near a pond. Golap Kachari, who hails from Barakhat, appeared out of nowhere in a four-wheeler and had a heated argument with Boro. The witnesses said that the fight was on the move so fast that Kachari is said to have pulled out a pistol from his car and shot two shots in the air before shooting Boro point-blank between his thighs. Yet another person, Kulen Boro, was injured during the subsequent commotion.
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After the shooting, Rebo Boro was taken to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH) for emergency treatment. He is currently in the care of the hospital but is reportedly safe. The gunshots were heard by nearby villagers, who ran to the location and were able to overpower the attacker. Golap Kachari was nabbed by locals and handed over to police in Kalaigaon. Officials also seized the illicit firearm used for the attack from the site.
The incident has left the region in shock, calling for attention to the increasing prevalence of illegal weapons in the far-flung regions of Udalguri. The locals have urged the district police to launch an active crackdown on the flow and possession of illegal weapons in order to avoid further outbreaks of violence, as elections are due soon.
The accident has not only brought to the fore the individual rivalries simmering in the region but also revealed the staggering availability of guns, leaving authorities wondering about security prior to the BTR council elections.
