Guwahati: The All Assam Students’ Union (AASU) has strongly condemned the brutal murder reported from Kokrajhar district, warning of a decline in law and order amid continuing unrest and calling for urgent intervention.
In a statement on Tuesday, AASU president Utpal Sarma demanded a swift and high-level investigation into the killing and asserted that accountability must be ensured without delay.
As tensions simmered, the Army was deployed in sensitive pockets of Kokrajhar following incidents of mob violence that reportedly left two people dead and sparked arson and street clashes.
Officials said the deployment was aimed at preventing further escalation and reassuring residents in violence-hit areas.
According to defence sources, Army columns conducted joint night patrols with the district administration in Karigaon and surrounding localities on Tuesday.
A flag march has been planned as part of confidence-building measures, while four Army columns remain stationed in the district. Security has also been tightened in neighbouring Chirang.
Early indications of Army deployment had emerged even as the Rapid Action Force was already deployed following the outbreak of violence. Authorities said the overall situation remains under control and is being closely monitored.
The unrest reportedly began late Monday when a vehicle carrying three Bodo community members allegedly hit two Adivasi persons near the Karigaon outpost on Mansingh Road.
Locals allegedly assaulted the occupants and set the vehicle on fire. One person died on the spot, another succumbed to injuries on Tuesday, and three others remain hospitalised.
Tensions escalated on Tuesday as members of both communities blocked the national highway, torched tyres, set fire to a government office, and attacked the local police outpost.
Police used baton charges and tear gas to disperse the crowd, leaving several people, including officers, injured.
Relief camps were opened at Karigaon High School and Gwajanpuri Amanpara High School as families fled their homes fearing further violence.
Prohibitory orders under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, have been imposed across Kokrajhar.
Mobile internet and data services were suspended in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts to curb misinformation and maintain public order, officials added.