Mizoram Police registered an FIR against Assam chief minister Himanta Biswa Sarma and six top state officials on charges of attempt to murder and assault, people aware of developments said on Friday, marking an escalation in tensions simmering between the northeastern neighbours days after violent border clashes killed seven people.
The developments came on a day Mizoram condemned Assam’s decision to ask its citizens to not travel to the neighbouring state and a key government committee appeared to harden its stance on the border dispute.
“Public notice to all. Northeast India will always be one,” chief minister Zoramthanga tweeted. “I still hope for an amicable solution to the Assam-Mizoram border tension from the central government,” he added.
Inspector of Vairengte police station, H Lalchawimawia, filed the case against Sarma, Assam police inspector general Anurag Aggarwal, deputy inspector general Devojyoti Mukherjee, Cachar deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli, Cachar superintendent of police (former) Vaibhav Chandrakant Nimbalkar, forest officer Sunnydeo Choudhury, officer incharge of Dholai police station, Sahab Uddin, and 200 unidentified Assam Police personnel, said the people quoted in the first instance.
The FIR was filed for allegedly entering Mizoram’s Vairengte district and violating Covid protocols and under the Mizoram Containment and Prevention of Covid-19 Act 2020 along with the Indian Penal Code. Sarma and the officials were booked for attempt to murder, concealing design to commit offence, grievous hurt, assault and using criminal force against public servants, said the people.
The CM and others were asked to appear in the police station on August 1.
(Hindustan Times)