DNLA cadre dies in police firing in Assam's Dima Hasao, two others injured

Guwahati: A cadre of Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA), which is in ceasefire agreement with the government died, after police opened fire following an altercation in Maibong area in Assam's Dima Hasao district, officials said on Friday.

Two other DNLA cadres suffered bullet wounds and they are being treated at a hospital. The doctors said that they are out of danger.

The incident happened around 2 a.m. on Friday outside the designated camp of the DNLA cadres in Maibong.

The deceased has been identified as Ali Dimasa.

"While a police team was on patrol duty at night, the commander of DNLA cadres at the camp got involved in an altercation with the police outside their camp. He was roaming in a drunken state late at night and the police asked him to go back to the camp. But he started to quarrel with the police officers," Superintendent of Police, Dima Hasao, Mayank Jha told IANS.

According to the police, soon after that, many cadres from the camp reached the spot and tried to launch an attack on the police team.

"The police team fired in air to disperse the crowd; however, unfortunately a bullet hit three cadres of the DNLA. One cadre died due to bullet injuries. The other two were admitted at the hospital," Jha said.

Meanwhile, former MLA from Dima Hasao district, Samarjit Haflongbar said that the police violated the ceasefire agreement and opened fire at unarmed DNLA cadres.

"We urge the government to initiate a proper inquiry in the matter and take action against those who were behind the incident. We condemn the incident with the strongest words,” Haflongbar said.

Meanwhile, the SP said that an impartial inquiry will take place if anybody found guilty, he will get proper punishment.

Earlier, in April this year, a tripartite Memorandum of Settlement between the Centre, the Assam government, and representatives of Dimasa National Liberation Army (DNLA) was signed in New Delhi.

Union Home Minister Amit Shah then said that the representatives of DNLA have agreed to abjure violence, surrender all arms and ammunition, disband their armed organisation, vacate all camps occupied by DNLA cadres, and join the peaceful democratic process as established by the law.

As a result of this agreement, over 168 cadres of DNLA laid down their arms.