Guwahati: Here is a fully active-voice write-up in Northeast Now style, with short and direct sentences:
Kheroni: Violence continued to grip Kheroni near the western banks of the Kopili River on Tuesday as unrest spread into the daily bazaar and turned chaotic. Protesters stormed the market, vandalised shops, smashed windowpanes, looted goods and left debris across the area.
Eyewitnesses said the crowd grew larger after Education Minister Ranoj Pegu left the area. He had assured protesters that the government would hold a tripartite meeting with locals and the Karbi Anglong Autonomous Council (KAAC).
As tension escalated, police launched a lathi charge and fired tear gas shells to disperse the mob. Locals said protesters burnt tyres, blocked roads and triggered multiple fire incidents. Thick smoke covered the area. Residents fled in panic while shopkeepers pulled down shutters.
Director General of Police Harmeet Singh reached Kheroni, monitored the situation and patrolled the streets to restore calm. He spoke to protesters directly and urged them to stop violence and stone-pelting. He said miscreants had torched three motorcycles, including one belonging to a policeman, and warned that police would take strict legal action.
Authorities have not issued an official statement yet. However, reports from the ground suggest that several people, including security personnel, may have suffered injuries. Prohibitory orders under the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS) remain in force, but hundreds reportedly stayed on the streets, defying restrictions.
Earlier, Minister Pegu said Karbi residents had observed a hunger strike since December 6. He said misinformation about the “arrest” of some protesters, who were actually taken for medical treatment, triggered the violence.
On Monday, police fired after protesters went on a rampage in Kheroni. The mob allegedly torched former KAAC chief Tuliram Ronghang’s old house in Donkamokam, burnt around 15 shops and tried to attack a police station.
The situation in Kheroni remains tense and volatile. Further updates are awaited.