Two ex-NLFB militants killed, ASP injured in Assam gun-battle

Two surrendered National Liberation Front of Bodoland (NLFB) militants, allegedly involved in dacoity, were killed and an additional superintendent of police was injured in a gunfight in Assam’s Chirang district on Tuesday, police said. In another incident, dacoits shot dead a man inside his house in the same district which falls under Bodoland Territorial Region (BTR). Acting on a tip-off about the presence of former NLFB militants suspected to have been involved in dacoity incidents in three villages along the India-Bhutan border on March 29, an operation was launched in Runikhata area on Monday night, a police officer said.

The suspected dacoits, who were hiding inside a house, opened fire on the police team on spotting them early on Tuesday. In retaliatory firing, two of them, including Mahanta Narzary, a prime accused in a dacoity case, were killed while Additional Superintendent of Police (Headquarters) Prakash Medhi and his bodyguard sustained bullet injuries.

Around two-three people who were inside the house, however, managed to escape and search operations have been launched to nab them.

Medhi, who received bullet injuries on his right hand, and his bodyguard were shifted to Gauhati Medical College Hospital (GMCH) for treatment.

Two pistols were seized from the encounter site.

”Valiant action by Additional SP Prakash Medhi. Despite receiving bullet injury, he and his team neutralised two criminals after heavy exchange of fire in Runikhata, Chirang early this morning.@Assam Police is proud of you,” Special Director General of Police (Law and Order) G P Singh tweeted.

Around the same time, a group of suspected dacoits barged into a house in Kamarpara in Dhaligaon police station area, and when the residents raised an alarm, they shot dead a family member, identified as Raja Bodo, and left the place.

Police officers reached the spot and launched a combing operation to nab the killers.

Assam has witnessed a spurt in police encounters since Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma assumed office on May 10 last year, with 40 people killed and at least 91 injured in such incidents since then.

The NLFB militants had surrendered last year.

The Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 has been withdrawn from 23 districts of Assam, including those falling under BTR, from April 1.