Assam Mizoram Border Dispute: Criminal Cases Filed Against CM Himanta Sarma, Senior Police Officials

Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma claimed that civilians in Mizoram have taken up arms and that is why people have been advised to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state.

File Photo

Aizawl: Criminal cases were lodged against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday along with four senior officers of the state police and two more officials over the violent clash that took place on the outskirts of Vairengte town in Mizoram's Kolasib district, police informed.

The Assam CM and officials have been booked under various charges, including attempt to murder and criminal conspiracy, Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Headquarter) John Neihlaia said as reported by news agency PTI.

The FIR was lodged by the state police at the Vairengte police station late Monday after a gunfight between the Mizoram and the Assam police forces near the border town, Mizoram Inspector General of Police (Headquarter) said.

The four senior Assam Police officers named in the FIR are Inspector General of Police (IGP) Anurag Aggarwal, Deputy Inspector General (DIG) of Cachar Devojyoti Mukherjee, Cachar Superintendent of Police Cahndrakant Nimbalkar, and officer-in-charge of Dholai police station, Sahab Uddin, Neihlaia said.

Cachar Deputy Commissioner Keerthi Jalli and Cachar Divisional Forest Officer Sunnydeo Chaudhary have also been booked under the same charges, he informed.

It was revealed that additionally, cases were also registered against 200 unidentified Assam Police personnel.

The four police officers and the two administrative officials have been summoned for questioning on Sunday, he added.

'Civilians in Mizoram have arms in their hands': Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

While the border tensions persist, Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Friday claimed that civilians in Mizoram have taken up arms and that is why people have been advised to avoid travelling to the neighbouring state.

Speaking to news agency ANI, the chief minister said, "There is no curb on travel. We have advised people to think before going to Mizoram as civilians there have arms in their hands and this will continue until the Mizoram government seizes the weapons."

Assam cabinet minister Ranjeet Kumar Dass informed that the set is moving to the Supreme Court over the issue. "Himanta Biswa Sarma ji is in regular touch with the Mizoram Government and with Home Minster also. This is very unfortunate. The government of India must take over this issue because the Assam boundary is not a historical boundary but a constitutional boundary. We are also moving to the Supreme Court of India," Dass told ANI.

The Assam government on Thursday issued an advisory for state residents asking them to avoid travelling to Mizoram amid the border dispute between the neighbouring state.

"Given the critical prevailing situation, the people of Assam are advised not to travel to Mizoram as any threat to the personal safety of people of Assam cannot be accepted," the advisory issued by MS Manivannan, Commissioner and secretary, Home and political department read.

The Assam government also advised its citizens, who are staying in Mizoram due to work-related reasons, to "exercise utmost caution".

On Monday, the border dispute between the two states took a violent turn as a fierce gun battle between the forces of the two states resulted in the death of five Assam police personnel and one civilian.

One injured policeman succumbed to his injuries later taking the total number of policemen killed to six. At least 50 people were injured in the incident. A total of six companies of the Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) have been deployed at the site where the policemen died.