How a Monday Night Car Accident Triggered Violent Communal Clashes in Assam’s Kokrajhar
A communal flare-up following a car accident in Assam’s Kokrajhar on Monday night spiralled into violence on Tuesday, leading to the deployment of Rapid Action Force and prompting the state government to snap mobile internet services in the district. The tensions, primarily in the Karigaon area of the Western Assam district, which is part of the Bodoland Territorial Region, stemmed from a road accident on Monday night, in which a vehicle carrying three people from the Bodo community hit two people from the Adivasi community. “When the vehicle hit those two, others joined in to attack the people inside the vehicle,” said IGP (Law & Order) Akhilesh Singh. One person, identified as Sikhna Jwhwlao Bismit, succumbed to injuries, while four are being treated at the Kokrajhar Medical College and Hospital. “We detained 19 people at night and began the investigation. We are trying to explain to people to let the police handle this in line with the law, “ said Kokrajhar Superintendent of Police Akhat Garg. However, tensions flared between the two communities, with people …
