Assam-Mizoram border dispute: Both states' officials, including Assam CM, booked
The Assam-Mizoram border dispute is worsening by the day and the issue has taken a new turn as both states have now booked each other's top officials. The Mizoram Police has even filed a case against Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on charges of murder and assault over the violent clashes that erupted at the disputed interstate border on Monday. Here's more.
The Mizoram Police filed an FIR against six Assam officials, including Inspector General of Police Anurag Aggarwal, Cachar's Deputy Inspector General Devojyoti Mukherjee, Cachar's Superintendent of Police Chandrakant Nimbalkar, and Dholai police station's officer-in-charge Sahab Uddin apart from two administrative officers. Mizoram's Inspector General of Police (Headquarter), John Neihlaia, has told PTI that they have summoned the Assam officials for questioning on Sunday.
The FIR against Sarma and top Assam officials was reportedly booked under Indian Penal Code (IPC) Sections 307/120-B/270/325/326 and 353/336/ 334/448/34, Section 3 of Bengal Eastern Frontier Regulation, Sections 3 and 6 of Mizoram Containment and Prevention of COVID-19 Act, and Section 27(1)(a) of the Arms Act. Mizoram also booked around 200 Assam policemen under IPC Section 307 (attempt to murder), reported Economic Times.
The Assam Police, too, summoned six officials from Mizoram's Kolasib district, including its Deputy Commissioner H Lalthlangliana, Superintendent of Police Vanlalfaka Ralte, Additional Superintendent of Police David JB, Vairangte Sub-Divisional Officer (Civil) C Lalrempuia, 1st Indian Reserve Battalion Additional SP Bruce Kibby, and Vairangte Sub-divisional Police Officer Thartea Hrangchal. The summonses were issued Wednesday—two days after the unprecedented gun battle at the interstate border.
Meanwhile, the Assam Police also summoned Mizoram's lone Rajya Sabha MP, K Vanlalvena over misleading statements made in an interview after the violent Monday clashes. He reportedly issued a public death threat to Assam policemen, saying, "They are lucky...we didn't kill them all. If they come again, we shall kill them all." The Assam Police has reached Delhi to question Vanlalvena in the matter.
Earlier on Friday, at a joint all-party meeting of lawmakers from Assam's Barak Valley, a resolution was reportedly taken to move the court against Kolasib SP Ralte for "the barbaric act" on Monday in which six Assam Police personnel were killed. They said action should also be taken against Vanlalvena for his "unpardonable statement." Guardian Minister for Cachar, Ashok Singhal, chaired the all-party meeting.
The border dispute is a long-pending issue between Assam and Mizoram, which have accused each other of encroaching on their land. They share a 164.6km-long border between Assam's Cachar, Hailakandi, and Karimganj districts and Mizoram's Kolasib, Mamit, and Aizawl districts. Tensions along the border have been escalating for a year, but Monday's incident—in which six Assam policemen and a civilian died—was the most violent.
The Assam government on Thursday even issued a first-of-its-kind travel advisory, asking people not to travel to Mizoram. It said, "Given the critical prevailing situation...people of Assam are advised not to travel to Mizoram as any threat to personal safety of people cannot be accepted."
