Assam Resident Dies In Mizoram Police Custody, Tension Along Border Escalates

The ongoing conflict between Assam and Mizoram intensified on Monday, November 2 with the death of an Assam resident, Intazul Laskar, allegedly in the custody of Mizoram police.

Assam chief minister Sarbananda Sonowal wrote to Union Home Minister Amit Shah about the abduction and death of Laskar. He also announced an ₹5 lakh compensation for the family of the deceased. Sonowal ordered chief secretary Jishnu Barua and director general of police Bhaskar Jyoti Mahanta to take stock of the border situation and the case.

Intazul, a resident of Lailapur in Cachar district of Assam which is close to the Mizoram border, was allegedly abducted on Sunday morning, Hindustan Times reported.

"It is now confirmed that Intazul, who was abducted from the Assam side, died in the custody of police in Kolasib district of Mizoram. The exact details of how he died will be known after a thorough investigation," BL Meena, superintendent of police, Cachar, said.

"We are trying to get the deceased's body back and are in talks with Kolasib district officials. A case under section 365 of IPC for abduction has been registered at Dholai police station and the investigation is underway," he added.

Kolasib's superintendent of police Vanlalfaka Ralte said that Laskar, a well- known drug peddler, was arrested on Sunday evening when he crossed the inter-state border to drop off a consignment and later died at a health facility.

The Mizoram government has called the death of Intazul 'unfortunate' and asked the Assam government to ensure the safety and security of Mizoram residents in Assam following the incident.

The Mizoram home department wrote to the Assam government asking to "prevent any retaliatory attacks by vested parties and anti-social elements within Assam especially on the inter-state border on the issue of the unfortunate death of a resident of Lailapur at Vairengte this (Monday) morning".

The situation along the Assam-Mizoram border has remained tense for the past week after residents of Assam blocked the NH 306 demanding withdrawal of personnel of the Mizoram police and India Reserve Battalion from areas along the boundary.

While Assam claims that security personnel from Mizoram encroached parts of its territory and began construction, Mizoram maintains that the areas belong to them and have denied calling back its personnel till normalcy is restored.

In October, several people on both sides of the border suffered injured in clashes after some people from Mizoram allegedly burnt down huts at Lailapur. Locals on the Assam side had blocked the highway in protest against the incident.

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