Nine people involved in violence outside Baksa jail identified: Himanta

Guwahati, Oct 16 (PTI) Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Thursday said that the police have identified nine people who were involved in the violence that took place outside the Baksa District Jail after those accused in the Zubeen Garg death case were transferred on October 15.

The police are trying to identify the others who were involved in the unrest from video footage, the chief minister said at a press conference here.

The nine people are Nurul Alom, Mohidul Islam and Mustafa Ahmed who are members of the All Bodo Minority Students' Union (ABMSU), Sibjon Ali, Sahidul, Ahelya Mian who is a D-Voter, Ramiz Ali, Ashik and a former All Assam Students' Union (AASU) member Harekrishna Pathak, Sarma said.

He said that two youths were seriously injured in the violence and were admitted to the All India Institute of Medical Sciences, Guwahati.

''I directed minister Ranjeet Dass to visit the hospital to inquire about their condition. The doctors said they are stable and are on the path of recovery,'' he said.

The chief minister said that a magisterial inquiry will be ordered into the incident as this was mandatory.

The police on Wednesday baton charged and fired teargas shells to disperse a mob that attacked the convoy carrying the five accused arrested in cultural icon Zubeen Garg's death case as they were being brought to Baksa District Jail after their police remand ended.

The protestors were against the accused being brought to the jail there and some even demanded that the five be handed over to the public.

Asked whether there was an intelligence failure, the CM said the Kamrup Chief Judicial Magistrate had ruled that the accused should not be kept in the Guwahati Central Jail due to security reasons.

''We had anticipated this, and had given indication to jail authorities in six nearby districts but it was finally decided to shift him to Baksa as the journey time was less,'' he said.

Once the police remands end, the accused is no longer in their custody but they become the responsibility of the judiciary, he said.

''The police must ensure that they were lodged in the jail at the earliest which is why they were taken to Baksa as it takes a little more than an hour to reach there from Guwahati,'' Sarma said.

Rejecting allegations that the accused were shifted there to keep them in comfort in the new jail, the CM said that only mattresses are there in the cells and no beds.

''Regarding allegations that the accused have been provided with air conditioners, there is no proper electricity connection in the jail,'' he said.

The jail was inaugurated only two months ago and had no prisoner before the five accused were taken there, Sarma said.

The CM also alleged that some media organisations had played a provocative role in the incident. ''I don't want to be strict with anybody but freedom of speech does not mean giving wrong and misleading information,'' he said.

Meanwhile, the situation in Baksa was ''under control'' with heavy deployment of security forces in and around the jail to prevent any further outbreak of violence as tension still prevailed in the area.

Prohibitory orders, under Section 163 BNSS, are in force in Mushalpur town and adjoining areas of the jail while internet/mobile data service of all service providers in the entire Baksa district remained suspended.

Assam Director General of Police Harmeet Singh reached the district late on Wednesday night to monitor the situation and appealed to people not to take law into their hands. PTI DG NN