HT Bureau
DIPHU, Nov 23: The body of forest employee Bidya Sing Lekthe, who was killed in a clash with a mob on Tuesday at Mukroh was handed over to executive members of Karbi Anglong. The body was received at Khanduli Border Outpost by EMs Amar Tisso and Ritesh Enghi and Magistrate Amit Porbosha.
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The violent incident at Mukroh resulted in the killing of six persons.
After the incident, the bodies were taken by the Meghalaya police to Jowai and postmortem was conducted in a hospital at Jowai. After the postmortem, the body of late Lekthe was returned to Karbi Anglong around 4 pm at Khanduli border outpost.
Related to the incident, social organisations of Karbi Anglong condemned the violent act.
In a joint press conference held at the District Press Club of Karbi Anglong office here by Joint Action Committee for Autonomous State (JACAS), convener Khorsing Teron said, “We strongly condemn the vested interest group of people who provoked the attack on the Forest and police personnel. We demand a high-level investigation into the incident and deployment of more security personnel along the interstate border for the safety and security of government officials and employees of the forest department and to maintain law & order.”
Teron also appealed to sections of Karbi, Khasi, and Jaintia living in the border areas to maintain peace and communal harmony.
He said the gesture of Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma was also appreciated by the social organisations.
“However that is not enough. The state government should appraise the Centre and book the culprit involved in the illegal timber logging,” said Teron.
The incident happened because of illegal logging not because of the border issue. The government of Assam and Meghalaya should take action against the illegal timber loggers. The illegal loggers are responsible for the situation, Teron added.
Vice president, Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), Sonasing Terang at a press conference also condemned the firing at Mukroh. Karbi Anglong Women Justice Forum also condemned the incident and demanded a high level inquiry.
Nikonjo Kathar, former C-in-C, United People of Liberation Army in his press release said, the firing from both sides is condemnable. The timber smuggling from the Meghalaya side in West Karbi Anglong needs to be looked into.
