Assam sets up SIT to probe arson

The Asian Age.  | manoj anand

India, All India

Sarma said that the police has registered 197 cases in the state and arrested more than 223 people so far.

Himanta Biswa Sarma

Guwahati: The Assam government will constitute an SIT to probe incidents of violence at the state secretariat area and Srimanta Sankardeva Kalakshetra, in which Youth Congress president and an NSUI activist were allegedly involved, state minister Himanta Biswa Sarma said on Tuesday.

Mr Sarma alleged, “We have got visual and technical evidence proving as to how Congress leaders conspired to set the Assam secretariat on fire. It was a huge conspiracy.”

Announcing that the Assam government has constituted an SIT, headed by a DIG of CID, Mr Sarma said that police has gathered “substantial evidence” that exposes the pro-active involvement of Popular Front of India (PFI) activists in the arson and violence that went on for two days in the capital city areas. “We have arrested 107 hooligans in connection with arson and violence in Guwahati. It was amusing to discover that out of those arrested, 48 had come from lower Assam districts of Barpeta, Dhubri and Gaolpara,” said Mr Sarma while clarifying that involvement of Congress and PFI workers was restricted to two major incidents — one that took place in front of state secretariat in Dispur on G.S. Road and another attack on Shakardev Kalakhetra.

He alleged that one “NSUI vice-president” was involved in attacking Sankardev Kalkhetra in Panjabari area of city. The CCTV footage have helped the police in identifying the accused, said Mr Sarma.

Mr Sarma said that the police has registered 197 cases in the state and arrested more than 223 people so far.

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