GUWAHATI, Jan 9: While travelling on the 40-km-long E&D embankment that lies between Palasbari and Nagarbera, one finds crowds of children surrounding and surveyors' vehicle with the joy and curiosity of the average children of other rural areas of the State. Of course, they do not know, unlike many others of the well-off families, that at any moment their tryst with destiny may begin. [AT]

Top KYKL ultras held in Shillong

SHILLONG, Jan 10: The Kanglai -- Yawol Kanna Lup (KYKL), a militant outfit operating in Manipur suffered a severe blow yesterday when its top leadership including its chairman N Oken and the Commander-in-chief N Thouba Singh were arrested by Meghalaya police in a surprise raid. A police spokesman told The Assam Tribune this evening that acting on secret information, the police assisted by the CRPF conducted a raid in Nongrim Hills locality in the city at 10.30 am yesterday and netted the prized catches of the top KYKL leaders. The police also nabbed four women wing cadres of the outfit. [AT]

Ultras kill CPI(M) leader, abduct bus passenger

AGARTALA, Jan 13: Banned National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) guerillas shot dead a CPI(M) leader, kidnapped a person and injured a woman at Alutola in South Tripura on Wednesday night, reports UNI. [AT]

Ten held for immoral trafficking

GUWAHATI, Jan 13: Panbazar police this afternoon arrested 10 youths including five girls under the Immoral Traffic Act from the Space Lodge at Panbazar, police sources informed. They would be produced at CJM's court tomorrow. [AT]

Panic-stricken Raiabari muslims flee from homes AGARTALA, Jan 14: The minority Muslims of Raiabari in Udaipur subdivision of South Tripura district are evacuating their village in large number to avoid harassment of their girls by the militants. [S]

Demand for CBI probe into gang rape

GARTALA,Jan 19: Mr Jawahar Saha, a Congress MLA from Tripura, in a letter to the Prime Minister, Atal B Vajpayee, has demanded a CBI inquiry into the alleged gang rape of 20 girls belonging to a minority community by armed militants a Riabari under Udaipur police station in South Tripura district recently. [S]

'Gangrape' being investigated, say police

AGARTALA, Jan 21: Police on Friday said three "gangrape" victims of South Tripura's Raibari had informed them of the crime "committed by a group of NLFT insurgents" and investigations in this case were continuing, reports PTI. [AT]

Police kill main accused in rape case

AGARTALA, Jan 21: A day after police formally admitted rape of Muslim women at a South Tripura village by militants, police shot dead one of the main accused in the incident Halflong Jamatia after a brief encounter. On Thursday night, state's director general of police K T D Singh, in a statement, admitted rape of women at Muslim dominated Raiyabari village under Killa police station. [NED]

Japanese girl molested inside museum

AGARTALA, Jan 22: A Japanese tourist, Ms Chika Nagasaki was molested at the Tripura Government museum by one Jyotirmoy Debbarma, an office guide on January 21, When the Japanese girl raised a hue and cry,Debbarma fled the scene. [S]

Elephants kills 82-yr-old woman

JORHAT, Jan 22: An 82-year-old woman, Ms Sorumoni Chutia was killed by a wild elephant at village Lahing Nasaparia under Teok police station this morning. [S]

Blasts in Manipur, 10 hurt

IMPHAL, Jan 23: Altogether 10 people including five women and two CRPF jawans were seriously injured and ruling Manipur State Congress Party office was severely damaged in separate explosions in the State capital on Saturday, reports PTI. [AT]

Insurgency-hit children of Assam pass traumatized days

DHUBRI, Jan 23 (IANS): Ten-year-old Raska Kisku, an inmate of a refugee camp in western Assam's, Dhubri district, say his entire family of six being hacked to death by Bodo rebels in December 1998. [S]

Women in NE caught in cross-fire, isolated

NEW DELHI, Jan 23 (UNI): Women in North-east India bear the double burden of being caught in the crossfire between insurgents and security forces besides suffering an acute sense of isolation, a regional workshop held by the National Commission for Women (NCW) has highlighted. [S]

Dowry incident

NAGAON, Jan 24: A man, along with his two brothers, were arrested today for allegedly attempting to burn his wife in Nagaon, police said. The woman, Sangeeta, had alleged in a statement that her husband Arabinda Sarma and his two brothers Birinchi and Tirtha had tried to set her on fire when her family failed to meet their dowry demands. -- PTI [AT]

Fresh attacks on R-day eve

AGARTALA, Jan 25: Stepping up their offensive on the eve of Republic Day, suspected National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants killed three persons, abducted nine and injured a girl over the past 24 hours. [TT]

NLFT ultras kidnap 12 persons in Tripura

AGARTALA, Jan 27: Twelve persons, including two children, have been kidnapped by armed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants from two different places in Tripura, police said here on Tuesday, reports PTI. [AT]

Intensified insurgent activities in Agartala

AGARTALA, Jan 27: Insurgents intensified activities killing three persons and abducted twelve others during last 24 hours in Tripura in an apparent bid to enforce their Republic Day boycott call. A ten year old girl was also among the abducted persons. [S]

Girl missing

GUWAHATI, Jan 30: Miss Bobby Das, daughter of Mr Praneswar Das of Balagaon, Chaygaon, Kamrup district, a maid servant of Mr Sunil Chandra Sharma, Project officer SBI, LHO, Guwahati, fled away from his house at Bishnu Rava Nagar, Noonmati at 6.30 p.m. on January 25. [S]

A woman sits with a sign as activists of the Naga People's Movement for Human Rights stage a sit-in protest near the Parliament in New Delhi on Monday, Jan 31. The demonstrators demanded that stalled peace talks between the Centre and the National Socialist Council of Nagalim resume promptly so that a solution to separatist strife may be found. An AFP photo.

ULFA ultra killed, women cadres arrested

GOLAGHAT, Feb 10: An ULFA militant was killed and two women activists of the outfit arrested during an encounter with the police at Naharbari, about five km from Barpathar police station under Dhansiri subdivision in Golaghat district this afternoon. [S]

Cong leader, PSO held on rape charges

GUWAHATI, Feb 10: Dispur police last night arrested Bhaba-nanda Lal Das, general secretary of Nalbari district Congress unit along with his personal security officer Umakanta Das on charges of attempted rape of a married woman at Hengrabari locality. [AT]

UPDS calls bandh in Karbi Anglong

DIPHU, Feb 12: A 61-hour 'Karbi Anglong district bandh' has been called by United People's Democratic Solidarity from February 19 demanding commissioning of a judicial inquiry to probe an incident of rape. [AT]

Body recovered

GUWAHATI, Feb 14: The body of a woman was recovered from a forest under Chandrapur police station today. The deceased was reported to be missing by family members last night. [AT]

Six militants held in Manipur

IMPHAL, Feb 14 (PTI): At least six activists of the People's Revolutionary Party of Kangleipak (PREPAK) and People's Liberation Army (PLA), including a woman, were apprehended by police from different places of Imphal West district in the last two days. [S]

Youths sacrifice girl to get 'treasure' AGARTALA, Feb 17: In a bizzare incident, two tribal youths sacrificed a young lady on February 13 believing that the act will lead them to a hidden treasure. The two youths Satya Tripura and Prem Kumar Tripura -- confessed before the police that they had been instructed in a dream to sacrifice three unmarried girls in order to get the hidden treasure. [S]

Body found

AGARTALA, Feb 17: A beheaded body of a woman has been recovered from Joy Singhpara of South Tripura district, police said on Wednesday. [AT]

Woman killed by NDFB

NALBARI, Feb 18: A woman has been shot dead and a teenaged girl injured by suspected NDFB militants in Nalbari district, according to official sources here today. Three National Democratic Front of Bodoland gunmen entered the house of one Makhan Choudhury at Giltejhar village yesterday and shot dead his wife Kalyani Choudhury. The sources said Makhan who was then away was the target of the assailants. They also injured a neighbour of the Choudhurys. The extremists had served an extortion notice on Makhan for payment of Rs 30,000 two weeks ago. [S]

Woman ULFA cadre surrenders

S SIVASAGAR, Feb 18: Rupa Barua alias Bimala Barua, wife of senior ULFA leader Chitra Dihingia, has surrendered before the district administration here today. Rupa Barua, who joined the outfit in 1991 and married to Chitra Dihingia in 1997, is the mother of a baby. She escaped from the outfit's main camp at Bhutan and came through to Sivasagar. She hails from Sootea in the district of Sonitpur. [S]

NLFT denies involvement in rape case

AGARTALA, Feb 22: The National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) has denied its cadres were involved in the alleged rape of 20 Muslim women at Rajabari under Udaipur subdivision of South Tripura district. [S]

Crimes against girl child

GUWAHATI, Feb 23: At least 3,127 cases targeting minor girls were registered with the police between 1992-97 in the districts of the State where the victims were girls below the age of 18. Of them as many as 2,027 involved kidnapping, 767 rape, 240 molestation, 62 torture or cruelty, 19 dowry and 12 murder cases. [AT]

Insurgency situation : Women, child worst sufferers

GUWAHATI, Feb 23: Speakers participating in a seminar on 'Effect of insurgency on women and children' today expressed concern over the deep scars inflicted on the psychology of women and children due to the prolonged insurgency situation in the State. [AT]

Closure of timber trade renders tribals jobless, hungry and into penury

GUWAHATI, Feb 23 (IANS): Kiriansy Lyngdoh, a tribeswoman in the West Khasi Hill district of Meghalaya, is a dejected soul, with little to feed her family and forced to pull her children out of school for want of money. Lyngdoh and her family, with no source of income,have been surviving for the past couple of years on a daily intake of a fistful of boiled rice and wild vegetables.

Thousands have been passing through a similar ordeal since the 1996 Supreme Court ban on the timber trade in the north-eastern region.At least 50 people have died of starvation in Meghalaya as thousands of tribespeople were left jobless following the closure of the timber industry. [S]

Kidnapped girl rescued

NAGAON, Feb 23: Nagaon police today rescued a girl -- Gita Devi (12) from a house at Itachali, Nagaon who had been kidnapped by unidentified miscreants from Medical Tiniali, Dibrugarh on February 21. [S]

6 ULFA militants nabbed

BISWANATH CHARIALI, Feb 27: Jawans of the 21 Mountain Division nabbed six ULFA militants, including a woman cadre of the outfit, from Gohpur area last night. [S]

Ten policemen hurt in tribal women attack AGARTALA, March 2: At least ten policemen were injured when a group of tribal women, suspected to be collaborators of NLFT militants, attacked them at Khutamara village of West Tripura district, police said on Monday. The incident occurred when the policemen were returning after arresting a man, who had allegedly sheltered a group of NLFT ultras, on Tuesday night. [AT]

5 PLA ultras held in Manipur

IMPHAL, March 4: Five activists of the People's Liberation Army (PLA), including a woman, were apprehended by police from different places in Manipur in the last two days, official sources said. [AT]

ULFA member held

PATACHARKUCHI, March 12: Police today arrested a woman cadre of the banned ULFA from Bhaluki area here. The ULFA member identified as Purabi Devi hails from Makhibaha in Nalbari district. [AT]

Public meeting condemns ULFA violence

AMGURI, March 14: Under the aegis Nagarik Mancha, a public meeting attended by a large number of men and women was held on March 10 at Gaurisagar in protest against the killing of Forest Minister Nagen Sarmah and four others, besides other persons, and the threat held out of some ministers of Assam by the ULFA. [AT]

NLFT guns down 4 in Tripura

AGARTALA, March 14: Outlawed tribal guerillas gunned down four people, including a woman and a child, shot at another and burnt down many houses at Ramdulapara under Pecharthal police station in North Tripura on Tuesday, report agencies. Meanwhile, five persons have been kidnapped by insurgents from different parts of Tripura, police said on Tuesday. [AT]

Body recovered

HAILAKANDI, March 17: An unidentified body of a woman, about 35 years of age, was recently recovered by police from the railway crossing of the Jaipur-Pailapool road in Lakhipur sub-division of Cachar district. Meanwhile, an eight-year-old boy, Surachandra Singha was run over by a Silchar-bound taxi at Shivpur in Lakhipur sub-division. [AT]

2 charred to death

DIPHU, March 18: Two women were charred to death in a devastating fire that gutted more than 33 thatched houses and two grocery shops here yesterday, official sources said. [AT]

Woman surrenders after "killing" husband

ITANAGAR, March 21 (PTI): A police constable has been killed by his wife here who later surrendered before the police alleging "regular torture" by the deceased, police said today. [S]

Two killed by tribal guerillas in Tripura

AGARTALA, March 21: Tribal guerillas shot dead two people, injured a woman and kidnapped a youth in West Tripura Monday night. [AT]

Tripura caught in a time warp

AGARTALA, March 23: The recovery of an unidentified woman's torso from a remote village in Sabroom subdivision last month has sparked a fresh uproar over the prevalence of superstition-linked practices, including human sacrifice, in Tripura. [TT]

NE activist meets Clinton, raises Chakma & eco issues

GUWAHATI, March 26: A leading woman activist from the north-east who met US president Bill Clinton at Mumbai on Friday, urged him to help Arunachal Pradesh solve the contentious Chakma problem by way of paying for their rehabilitation at some other place. [NED]

Woman ULFA cadre arrested

NORTH LAKHIMPUR, March 27: A joint team of Bihpuria police personnel and Army jawans arrested a hard-core woman cadre of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA), Geeta Tamuly alias Sabita Rajbongshi today. [S]

Kidnapped girl rescued

MORIGAON, March 28: Ms Dipamoni Dutta (15), who had been kidnapped from Nangalamora under Simaluguri police station in Sivasagar district, was rescued by police at Moirabari here today. Her abductor Safikul Islam of Sarusala has been absconding, police said. [S]

Public repair PWD road at Rohmoria

CHABUA, March 28: The historical (Tamuli Ali) known as Dibrugarh-Rungagora PWD Road between Dibrugarh and Tinsukia is now in a deplorable condition and some parts of the road were eroded by the onslaught of the Brahmaputra in the last two years. Now the PWD road is the only road for the people of entire Rohmoria Mouza. But the State Government as well as the PWD always neglected this road of interior flood-affected area. But the members of Bogoritolia Sports Club and the men and women of the villages came forward to construct the PWD Road -- collectively on March 18 and 19. [AT]

School children's rally against violence

NAGAON, April 6: The Nagaon district administration today organized a rally in protest against violence let loose by the militants in the State. The rally, participated by about 1,000 schoolchildren, was flagged off by Mr Mohim Bora, the former president of the Axom Xahitya Xabha (AXX) in the presence of a large number of distinguished citizens of the town. Interestingly, no AGP worker was present on the occasion. [S]

Chargesheet against principal for sexual abuse of teenager

AGARTALA, April 6: The south Tripura police has ignored two dubious DNA reports and filed charge sheet against the Principal of the Kakrahon Navodaya Vidyalaya, Mr Hari Sankar Tiwari for sexually abusing a 14 year old girl. The class VIII student Purnima Dey had delivered a girl child on February 20, 1999 in the school hostel. [S]

Rape by Jawan alleged

TANGLA, April 13: An Army jawan allegedly raped a woman, mother of three children at her residence at Chenipara village under Tangla police station today. [S]

Jawan arrested

GUWAHATI, April 14: An Army jawan has been arrested for allegedly molesting a woman in Assam's Darrang district, adds our Guwahati correspondent. An inquiry has been ordered into the incident which took place in Chinipara village near Tangla last night. [TT]

Insurgents kill three

AGARTALA, April 14: NLFT militants hacked to death three tribals belonging to the same family in West Tripura last night. Police sources said a group of 10 NLFT militants broke into the house of a CPM worker, Pulin Debbarma, at 10 pm in Natun Dafadar para village under Kalyanpur police station.
The militants, despite having sophisticated firearms, hacked to death Pulin Debbarma, his wife Nayaneswari and his son Arun. Debbarma's two children, Sabita and Barun, managed to survive by escaping through the back door. The sources said Debbarma, an active CPM worker, had incurred the wrath of NLFT rebels by refusing to pay them "tax."
In a separate incident, six persons, including two tribal women, were injured when the police resorted to a mild lathicharge to disperse a mob that had blockaded Takarjala police station in Bishalgarh subdivision yesterday. The mob was demanding the release of some listed militants and collaborators captured by the police. [TT]

Tripura women up in arms against militancy

AGARTALA, April 15: The women in Tripura have also joined the bandwagon against rising militancy and chalked out various programmes to fight the growing menace. [NED]

No end to ordeal of victims of ATTF violence

AGARTALA, April 17: The one-and-a-half year old child seem to have learnt the realities of life too early. Between Saturday night and Sunday morning his life has witnessed a sea-change. He no longer cries for his mother. Rather he has familiarized himself with the sisters of the Indira Gandhi Memorial hospital here. He laughs along with them. He cries only when the injuries he received on April 15 night, gives him pain. [S]

Jawan handed over to Army custody

MANGALDOI, April 17: The Army jawan Gurmeet Singh of 16 Punjab (Patiala) Regiment, who had been arrested on the charge of raping a woman here on April 13, was handed over to the Army custody for court martial today. [S]

Girl rescued from abductors, 3 arrested

MORIGAON, April 19: The police rescued a girl, Madhabi (14) at Neli near Jagiroad when she was being whisked away in a Tata Sumo by three youths -- Neelu Das, Babul Bora and Biswajit Baruah -- yesterday. The abductors, all whom hail from Nagaon, were also arrested. [S]

Bengali rebels strike in Tripura, 1 killed, 6 hurt

AGARTALA, April 19: Suspected United Bengali Liberation Force (UBLF) militants killed one tribal and wounded six in two separate bomb attacks in North and West districts in Tripura on Wednesday, while two tribals, including a woman, were kidnapped by suspected ATTF militants in South Tripura. [NED]

Cop held

GUWAHATI, April 20: Jalukbari police on Tuesday arrested Swadesh Sarkar, a constable of 9th APBn settled at Amingaon on charges of abetting murder for the suicide of one Shibani Dey of the area. Sources informed that the accused who was already married, had an illicit relationship with this girl leading to her suicide. [AT]

Jawans arrested on rape charge

MANGALDOI, April 22: Gurmit Singh and Sukhbinder Singh, Army jawans of 6 Sikh Regiment of Tangla were arrested on charges of rape and the former was sent to Mangaldai jail, police sources said. It is alleged that both Gurmit and Sukhinder raped a woman of village Centipara under Tangla PS on April 13 last in drunken state. [AT]

Child-killer lynched

JORHAT, April 22: People lynched one Kapur Kurmi (35) while he was drinking the blood of an eight-month-old infant after beheading it at Kharikatiya Tea Estate under Mariani police station here yesterday. [S]

Child killed, 4 hurt in mishap

AGARTALA, April 23: A five-year-old boy was killed and four others including his father were injured in a bus accident in Hawaibari area under Teliamura police station of West tripura district on Friday, reports PTI. [AT]

Tripura child labour survey raises doubts

AGARTALA, April 23: They are everywhere -- from tea stalls and brick kilns to factories and construction sites. However, official statistics would have everyone believe that the number of child labourers in Tripura has come down drastically. [TT]

One arrested for ULFA links

NAGAON, April 24: Police arrested Ms Kanaka Saikia, wife of ULFA activist Surya Bora alias Paban Bora, along with her two-year-old child at No. 2 Kaki village in Hojai subdivision here today. Ms Saikia had been working as a teacher in a local ME school. Police said, she was arrested because her name was found in certain documents recovered from ULFA activists. [S]

One arrested for rape

GAURIPUR, April 26: Police arrested Abdul Kadir (43) of Bainaguri here yesterday on the charge of raping a minor girl on the night of April 24. [S]

One arrested for rape

GAURIPUR, April 26: Police arrested Abdul Kadir (43) of Bainaguri here yesterday on the charge of raping a minor girl on the night of April 24. [S]

Violence mars first phase of TTAADC polls

AGARTALA, April 30: The first phase of elections to the Tripura Tribal Area Autonomous Development Council (TTAADC) today was marred by large-scale rigging, booth capturing and snatching of arms etc. The ruling Left Front has demanded repoll in 117 polling booths. About 60 per cent polling has been reported. Meanwhile, insurgents of NLFT kidnapped five persons, including a nine-year-old girl, in two separate incidents on the eve of the polls in the State, police said. [S]

Santhal, Bodo refugees in Govt camps suffer hunger pangs

KOKRAJHAR, May 3: These are God's own children. Half-fed, half-naked kids who have survived a violent past, going through a miserable present and heading for an uncertain future. These are the children of the so-called relief camps at Joypur and Amguri, set up by the government to house the victims of the Bodo-Santhal riots that had rocked Kokrajhar and its adjoining areas in 1996. [NED]

Six ULFA harbourers, 2 miscreants held

GUWAHATI, May 3: Army troops operating in lower Assam apprehended six ULFA harbourers and two antisocial elements including a woman during the last 96 hours. [S]

Tripura rebels behead woman

AGARTALA, May 5: Militants beheaded a 60-year-old non-tribal woman at Mendi village under Kamalpur police station in Tripura's Dhalai district yesterday. The widow was the lone non-tribal in the area. Mendi's population was mixed not long ago, but a series of militant attacks forced all non-tribals to flee the village and take shelter elsewhere. [TT]

Stolen 5-day-old baby rescued

DIBRUGARH, May 6: Police rescued the five-day-old male baby, who had been kidnapped from the Gynaecology Department of the Assam Medical College Hospital on May 3, from the possession of Ms Minati Sur, wife of Mr Manu Sur, an electrician, and resident of KP Road, Santipara at 11-30 a.m. here today. When interrogated, the woman said that she stole the child as she had been childless since the last five years after her first child had died and then she had a miscarriage. [S]

Five kidnapped, 20 tribal huts set ablaze in Tripura

AGARTALA, May 6: Five persons including three children have been kidnapped while five were injured in separate incidents in Tripura. Twenty tribal huts were set ablaze fanning the ethnic tension in Kobrakhamar village, police on Saturday said. The Assam police personnel have been deployed to contain the situation. [NED]

Stray dogs menace in city

GUWAHATI, May 7: Stray dogs are creating havoc by biting quite a few persons including children in various localities of the city during the last few days. The problem is compounded by absence of any measure to sterilise these dogs or removing them by the Guwahati Municipal Corporation (GMC). [AT]

One arrested for murdering wife

AMGURI, May 9: Several hundred women protesters including students held a meeting at the Natya Mandir here today in protest against the alleged murder of a woman -- Anjali Devi -- by her husband over dowry yesterday. They also submitted a memorandum to the Circle Officer, Ambari demanding punishment to the guilty. Meanwhile, police arrested several persons including Anjali's husband Giridharilal Modi in this connection and produced them before the court today. [S]

3 killed

GUWAHATI, May 13: Two militants and a woman, were killed during an encounter between police and UPDS militants at Tiring, 12 km from Hamren in Karbi Anglong at 12.30 pm today. The civilian woman was caught in the crossfire. Another woman and two children were injured. [AT]

Malaria, encephalitis claim one

DHAKUAKHANA, May 13: Malaria and encaphalitis have turned into epidemic in the Ghotapara, Bortengani, Kokoajoa, Bhakatiyahola, and Lahibari areas in the Dhakuakhana subdivision. While one Dambaru Dhar Handique 40, died at the Lakhimpur Civil Hospital an eight year old child, Devajit Handique of the same family is also said to be in a critical condition. Hundreds of people in the surrounding villages are suffering from encaphalitis but no doctors have reportedly visited the area the sources said. [S]

When children spoke against militancy

GUWAHATI, May 14: After the elders had spoken about effects of insurgency on children in different seminars in Assam, it was the turn of the small children to speak for themselves about insurgency and to highlight the ill effects of militancy. At an inter-school declamation contest at Darrang Mela which was held at Don Bosco High School on Sunday, the children voiced their opinion against militancy and urged all to foster a spirit of brotherhood among all communities. [NED]

2 ULFA ultras, 2 civilians killed in Karbi Anglong

JORHAT, May 14: Two United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) militants, a seven-year-old girl and a woman were killed in an encounter with the police at Tirkim Tisso village in Hamren subdivision in Karbi Anglong district yesterday. [S]

Girl raped

MORIGAON, May 16: Two youths of Bornasatra here -- Karuna Goswami and Debeswar Das -- raped a teenage girl on the night of May 12 while she was on her way home after enjoying a Rongali Bihu function. A case was registered at Morigaon police station in this connection. Police said, some persons have been threatening the girl's family members, who comes from a poor family, to withdraw the case. No one has been arrested till filing this report. [S]

Tripura death toll rises to 4

AGARTALA, May 16: The death toll in yesterday's militant attack on Shamukcherra market in South Tripura's Udaipur sub-division rose to four with one more person succumbing to injuries at the Udaipur hospital. Three tribal children are still missing. According to the state police, the National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) rebels attacked the Shamukcherra market at 5.15 pm and tried to abduct three persons. [TT]

Woman ULFA cadre surrenders

GUWAHATI, May 16: Manju Nath alias Manisha Gupta alias Leena Gupta -- a woman cadre of the 'volcano' unit of the ULFA -- surrendered before the Kamrup police yesterday. [S]

Eight killed, 20 injured in Tripura violence

AGARTALA, May 20: Indefinite curfew was imposed in Kalyanpur under West Tripura district where at least eight persons, including two women and a child, were killed and more than 20 injured in separate incidents since last evening. Police sources said a group of United Bengali Liberation Front (UBLF) militants today lobbed bombs at a passenger jeep coming from North Maharanipur under Khowai subdivision killing five tribals and injuring 11.
Last night, UBLF rebels attacked Gudaibari village under Kalyanpur police station killing a tribal woman, Rajmala Debbarma (26). Five others -- Sushanto Debbarma(3), Sukhini Debbarma (60), Mamata Debbarma(18), Benoy Debbarma (23) and Bijli Debbarma(21) -- were admitted to the G. B. Hospital with serious injuries. Sources said the attack was aimed at avenging the killing of a woman by insurgents at neighbouring Maijbhandar village on Thursday. [TT]

Curfew in Tripura

AGARTALA, May 20: Curfew was imposed for an indefinite period and shoot-at-sight orders were issued today in the Teliamura and Kalyanpur police station areas of West Tripura district where at least 15 persons, including two women and a child, were killed and 13 others injured in separate incidents since last evening. [AT]

Inter-state racket in women trafficking busted

GUWAHATI, May 20: Jalukbari police in the city has busted an inter-State racket in trafficking of women, arrested four persons in this connection and rescued a teen-aged victim of the racket from Delhi in an operation conducted with the help of the Delhi Police recently. [AT]

Tripura violence toll goes up to 30; shoot-at-sight ordered

AGARTALA, May 21: At least 15 people, including children and women, were massacred and several injured by NLFT insurgents in West Tripura district on Saturday night, official sources said on Sunday. The ultras raided a school, in Baghbar village under Kalyanpur police station, where people from neighbouring villages had taken shelter, threw grenades and opened indiscriminate firing, killing 15 people and injuring many, the sources said. With this, the toll in ethnic clashes since Friday has risen to 30. [AT]

Cheat arrested

JORHAT, May 21: Jorhat police arrested one youth for duping Rs 90,000 from a girl, by pretending to marry her. The employed girl who paid the amount to her unemployed lover was struck dumb to find her fiance buy an old autorickshaw at Rs 22,000 and secretly marry another girl without informing her. She then lodged an FIR with the Bhogdoi police against the youth. [S]

Five injured in ATPF firing

DIBRUGARH, May 22: Five persons including two women were injured when Assam Tea Protection Force (ATPF) resorted to firing to disperse a violent mob at Mudoi village under Chabua police station yesterday. The injured persons have been identified as Ms Pransanti Baruah, Ms Devati Dulia, Dipul Dihingia, Khanin Dulia and Jitu Dulia. [S]

Abducted girl rescued, 1 held

GUWAHATI, May 24: The city police yesterday rescued Smt Gayatri Kumari, aged 17, who was kidnapped from near Chandmari locality on May 4 last and arrested one Durga Sahani In this connection, police sources said. [AT]

Girl rescued

GUWAHATI, May 25: A minor girl who eloped with a youth was rescued from a village in Mazaffarpur of Bihar on Wednesday by a team of Geetanagar police. The girl along with the accused Abhishek Rajput eloped on May 19 and were later traced in a village at Mazaffarpur. The accused was a petty trader of Zoo-Narengi Tiniali locality and the girl belongs to a family of Lakhimi Path of the area. [AT]

Aizawl tense over rape

SILCHAR, May 25: The Mizo Zirlai Pawl, a student's organisation in Mizoram, will bar movement of non-Mizos in Aizawl for two days from tomorrow to protest against the rape and murder of a Mizo girl. Police said 14-year-old Lalrindiki, daughter of one Abdul Khaleq and Saitingpui, had been missing since May 18. She was killed by one Afzal Hossain, 18, after having been repeatedly raped. Her body, wrapped in a sack, was recovered from the Burrabazar in Aizawl on Sunday morning. Hossain has been arrested and remanded in judicial custody. [TT]

Woman beheads husband

MORIGAON, May 26: The entire Morigaon town was rocked today by the gruesome beheading of a man by his wife. One Mileswari Bania beheaded her husband Mintu Bania in Langeri village under Lahorighat police station at around 5 a.m. today. Soon after, she surrendered at the Lahorighat police station with her husband's head and the dao, using which she had committed the crime, according to information received here. Reports say that Mintu Bania had an extra-marital affair with another girl, one Kanaklata Das, whom he married a month ago. [S]

Couple gunned down in Tripura

AGARTALA, May 28: Militants shot dead one Mohan Miyan and his wife Soraprai Bibi at Raiyabari area yesterday. The couple, who had gone there for grazing cattle, did not turn up. Their bodies were recovered by the villagers this morning. Besides bullet injuries, the two bodies bore injury marks inflicted by sharp weapons. It may be mentioned that at least 20 girls and house wives had been raped within a month in the Raiyabari area. [S]

Schoolchildren deprived of midday meal

JORHAT, May 29: The mid-day meal scheme of the Centre for the schoolchildren has become nobody's business. Often the allotment of rice under the scheme is interrupted and the children are deprived of the benefit. The basic cause affecting the scheme is that the retailers like the cooperative societies and the fair-price shops are not interested to draw the allotment of rice under the scheme for the fact that the carrying charges of such rice borne by them are not paid. [S]

Girl rescued

GUWAHATI, May 29: Jalukbari police on Sunday evening rescued an abducted girl from a hideout in Pandu locality. Sources informed that the girl was taken away to Samaguri of Nagaon by Sarup Sarkar of Pandu recently and they fled back to Pandu from Samaguri following police inquiries. She was reported missing a few days back. Meanwhile another girl of Marapara village of Goalpara under Matia police station was kidnapped by one Mohammad Aminul Haque of Kaki in Nagaon from Gauhati University premises on Sunday afternoon. The girl's father has lodged a complaint against the accused. The girl was appearing in MA (Assamese) examinations of the university by coming daily from Goalpara. [AT]

Bloody weekend fractures life in West Tripurs villages

KHOWAI (West Tripura), May 25 (UNI): The oppressive stench of bloated carcasses, smouldering huts and wails of women now overwhelm visitors to the villages of Khowai subdivision in carnage-scarred West Tripura. [S]

Hunting witches : Five more die in Kokrajhar

KOKRAJHAR, May 31: Sensation prevails in Kokrajhar district over the recent killing of five persons including a woman -- suspected of practising witchcraft -- by unidentified miscreants. Their mutilated bodies were recovered from the Mohendrapur reserve forest under Kachugaon police station of the district on Wednesday morning. [NED]

61 drug-related deaths in Mizoram

AIZAWL, June 1: At least 61 people including five women have died in Mizoram due to drug abuse since January, state excise commissioner R Lalzauva said on Wednesday. [AT]

Furore over rape by Jawan

TEZPUR, June 2: Great sensation prevails in Balipara and Lokhra area, 25 km from here under Rangapara police station in Sonitpur district following the incident of rape of a 12-year-old girl by a jawan of Assam Rifles on May 27 last. [AT]

20 militants surrender at Tangla

TANGLA, June 2: Twenty militants of different extremists groups including one woman surrendered before Col R Jetley and Pallab Bhattacharyya, SP, Darrang, in Tangla on Tuesday and decided to shun the path of violence and militancy and join the mainstream. In a surrender ceremony organised by Army in the Bordoloi Bhawan in Tangla, 20 militants in which there were nine from ULFA ten from NDFB and one from GNLF surrendered. [AT]

1 killed, 4 injured by NLFT ultras

AGARTALA, June 2: Insurgents of the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura killed a boy and wounded four others including two women at Assam basti in North Tripura district, police said here on Friday. In two separate incidents armed militants raided Ganganagar village in North Tripura and some other villages under Amarpur police station in South Tripura and beat up villagers, including some local CPI(M) leaders. They also burnt down a large number of house. [AT]

Diseases hit ethnic clash victims in Dhubri

DHUBRI, June 3: Large-scale displacement has taken place in the Dhubri district due to ethnic voilence. The Bodo-Santhal clashes in Dhubri district had claimed lives of at least 76 children in the last year alone, the sources said. [NED]

ULFA ultra, woman shot dead

DIBRUGARH, June 6: An ULFA cadre and a woman were shot dead in an encounter between the Army and the ULFA at Kawoimari village, 3 km from Namrup in Dibrugarh district at around 3.30 p.m. today. [S]

One abducted, six hostages released in Tripura

AGARTALA, June 8: One person has been abducted while six kidnapped persons including a nine-year-old girl have been released in separate incidents in Tripura, police said on Thursday. [AT]

Schoolchildren participating in the peace rally June 8 in the city. The Assam Tribune photo.

3 children of a family missing

DIBRUGARH, June 10: Three children of a family -- Jitendra Bhagat (11), Tulu Bhagat (8) and Bhula Bhagat (14) -- at Sungunibari here have been missing since June 7. [S]

Woman's body identified

GUWAHATI,June 11: The head and other body parts recovered from the TR Phukon park here last evening has been identified as that of Deepti Choudhury, an employee of NF Railway's Maligaon head office who was reported missing from office since June 8 evening. [AT]

Gross anomalies by MCH doctos

MORIGAON, June 14: A Government doctor of Morigaon Civil Hospital was reportedly involved in a serious irregularity on May 20, causing widespread concern among the local people. The matter came to light only very recently. According to information received a doctor of the gynaecology branch of Morigaon Civil Hospital whimsically transferred a pregnant woman, admitted to the civil hospital, to a private nursing home located at Morigaon town and performed ceaserian operation. The Morigaon Civil Hospital authorities was quite in the dark about the incident. [S]

Don Bosco clarify 'child abuse'

GUWAHATI, June 15: The staff members of Don Bosco School, Guwahati, through a press release, clarified that no member of the management, teaching or non-teaching staff of the institution was connected with the incident of child abuse that had been reported to have occurred at the school campus involving a student of class II on April 18, adding that the incident involving the student of class II, the son of a doctor, had no relation with the incident involving an IAS officer's son. [S]

10 girls rescued from brothel in Siliguri, 4 held

GUWAHATI, June 16: City police busted a major racket in immoral trafficking of women by rescuing 11 girls from a brothel in Siliguri and arresting four kingpins of the racket including two women yesterday. [AT]

4 PLA militants arrested

IMPHAL, June 18: Police arrested four activists of the People's Liberation Army (PLA) including two women from different places of Bishenpur and Imphal East districts in the past 48 hours, official sources said. Two women PLA activists were identified as Thsumila Devi and Y Sanatombi arrested from Thongju with some incriminating documents. Rs 1570 were also recovered from them. The other two activists identified as Y Somerenrdo Singh and H Bijen Singh. [AT]

Bride commits suicide, in-laws arrested

JORHAT, June 19: Police arrested the mother-in-law and the brother-in-law of Barnali Chakravarty, a newly-married woman who committed suicide at Garmur today, on the basis of an FIR lodged by the deceased's father alleging that physical and mental torture by her in-laws had forced her to commit suicide. [S}

4 gunned down by NDFB ultras

GUWAHATI, June 22: Four persons including a six-year old child were killed by suspected National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) militants near Kumarikata in Nalbari district late last night. Army sources said that those families were given extortion notice in April, while, on May 20, two NDFB militants were killed by the Army in the same area. These might be the reasons behind the killing, sources said. Meanwhile, Army apprehended two ULFA linkmen from the Borbori area of Nalbari district today. [AT]

Parental child abuse a major social crisis in Mizoram: Expert

AIZAWL, June 23: Child abuse appears to be a big malaise afflicting the Mizo society, a study has said. Rampant child abuse in the forms of physical aggression that causes injury and non-physical act of maltreatment are affecting physical and psychological developments of children in the rural areas of Mizoram. [NED]

2 killed, 5 hurt in landslide

SHILLONG, June 25: A mother and her minor son were buried alive while another five children injured when their house was swept away in a landslide triggered by incessant rains for the last five days, at Mawblei village, 10 km from here on Saturday, official sources said on Sunday. [AT]

Cop rescues girl from clutches of traffickers, 5 held

KOKRAJHAR, June 29: A chivalrous cop and luck finally saved the day for Minuti Basumatary from getting entrapped in the vicious circle of human trafficking. Meanwhile, police has arrested five persons in connection with the incident -- Chauhan Ali, Munshi Prasad, Agarwal Ram and Pulekar Munshi, including the main accused Hiramoti Das. On interrogation, they confessed of their involvement in taking Minuti to Bihar, and also said that they had sold five teenage girls of the district to brothels in places like Coochbehar, and other places of Bihar. [NED]

NDFB shoots dead woman, 2 others

GUWAHATI, June 29 (UNI): Suspected NDFB militants shot dead three persons, including a woman, at Ouguri village under Goreswar police station of Kamrup district last night. Police said the victims were identified as Mujibur Rehman, Siraj Ali and Asrafa Begum. The militants called out the victims from their houses and gunned them down. High civil and police officials rushed to the spot and launched a vigorous search operation to apprehend the militants, police added. [S]

3 persons shot dead in Manipur

IMPHAL, June 30: At least three persons including a girl were shot dead in separate incidents in Churachandpur and Imphal East districts of Manipur. Official sources here on Friday said that unidentified gunman shot dead a 22-year-old girl at Konpui village in Churachandpur district on Wednesday. She was abducted by gunmen from her house and later shot her dead near a paddy field at Konpui village. The motive behind the killing is yet it be ascertained, the sources said. In another incident, two suspected cadres of the National Socialist Council of Nagaland (NSCN-IM) were killed in a shootout with activists of another rival outfit at Laltingkhal on Jiribam-Tipamukh road in Imphal East district on Wednesday, the sources said. Links of the killers of the 20-year-old girl with the recently-formed Indigenous People's Revolutionary Alliance (IPRA) was being investigated, official sources said. [AT]

Rebels take Tripura planter hostage

AGARTALA, July 3: NLFT rebels abducted the manager of North Tripura's Golokpur tea estate, Bipin Bihari Tandon, from his bungalow inside the garden last night. Altogether 13 tea executives have been abducted by militants so far. In separate incidents, militants released four hostages, including a 10-year-old girl from captivity yesterday. [TT]

Nurses save baby

NAGAON, July 3: Two nurses of a local nursing home saved the life of a newborn male baby on Thursday. Sources said that a 14-year-old girl of the Kutheri area studying in class IX gave birth to the baby in the nursing home. The parents of the girl tried to kill the newborn child but two nurses working in the nursing home obstructed them from doing so. The girl conceived following her illicit romantic relation with a student of the same school. [S]

Wife of ULFA leader surrenders

GUWAHATI, July 3 (PTI): An ULFA woman cadre and the wife of a top leader of the banned outfit have surrendered before the Army, Defence sources said here today. Juli Bora alias Roma Deka, wife of Kirti Borgohain alias Bhai Baruah, assistant secretary of ULFA's council headquarters had surrendered to the Army at Dinjan on June 27, the sources said. [S]

Recovery of woman's body sparks tension in N Tripura, curfew on

AGARTALA, July 5: Tension has escalated in Fatikroy police station area of North district after the recovery of body of Bengali woman on Wednesday morning. Curfew has been enforced in the area on Tuesday evening amid mounting tension. Phototip colony, Kamal Chandra para, Balichara, Madavpur, Kochuchara and Jurkhara rocked by ethnic violence since Monday. Trouble in these localities under Fatikroy police station started after the kidnapping of a Bengali youth Prasanta Das (25) at Phototip colony. [NED]

Minor girl raped

JORHAT, July 6: A youth raped a 11-year-old girl at Lakshmibari under Teok police station here yesterday. Her family members have lodged an FIR at the police station today. Meanwhile, the rapist has been absconding. [S]

22 injured in police lathicharge

GUWAHATI, July 6: The Vinoy Cements Employees' Union, Umrangshu has alleged that altogether 22 persons, including a four-month pregnant woman and a three-year-old girl, were injured in police lathicharge on employees of the Vinoy Cement factory at Umrangshu yesterday. Fifteen of the injured employees were admitted to the Umrangshu 30-bed Rural Hospital, while Smt Mamata Sangma, the three-year-old girl, who received serious injury in her left eye, has been shifted to Nagaon Civil Hospital for treatment in view of her serious condition, said the Employees' Union in a memorandum to the Deputy Commissioner, NC Hills, today. [AT]

Situation tense

AGARTALA, July 6: Reports from Fatikroy in North Tripura district said the situation there is still tense despite adequate security arrangements. Police recovered body of a Bengali woman from the ethnic strife-torn Fatikroy. With this two persons were killed in recent sport of violence at Fatikroy. The 36-hour curfew clamped in view of communal riots was however relayed today. In all likelihood the civil administration will clamp curfew once again from tonight for 12 hours, sources said. [AT]

32 protesters arrested

SIVASAGAR, July 8: Thirty-two protesters including 10 women, who had been staging a sit-in demonstration at the Yuva Chatra Parishad office here today in protest against the assault on journalist Parag Saikia by Sivasagar Deputy Commissioner LN Tamuly, were arrested by the police. They were, however, freed later. [S]

Medical officer held for abortion death

NAGAON, July 13: Dr Jayanta Bora, the Medical Officer of Dakhinpat Public Health Centre (PHC), Nagaon was arrested by police today for his alleged involvement in an abortion carried out by him at his private chamber at Dakhinpat on July 10 resulting the death of the girl. Later, he was released on bail. [S]

4 held for immoral activities

NAGAON, July 15: Four persons, including two women, were arrested from Devagiri Hotel here today for involving in immoral activities. [S]

TE clerk killed for bid to rape

NAGAON, July 15: One Sudhakar Tanti, a labourer of Tiyajuri Tea Estate in Nagaon district, killed a clerk of the TE, Foujuddin Ahmed for the latter's alleged attempt to rape his (Tanti's) wife, Rukmini Tanti yesterday. According to reports, Foujuddin Ahmed went to the house of Sudhakar Tanti yesterday and made an abortive attempt to rape his wife Rukmini Tanti. On being informed of the matter, Rukmini's husband Sudhakar, who was not at home at the time of the incident, went to Foujuddin's house with a spear and killed him. Soon after the incident Sudhakar Tanti went to Nagaon headquarters police station and surrendered. [S]

UPDS mows down 10 in Hamren, 3 ULFA cadres among 4 killed in Barpeta JORHAT, July 16: The UPDS militants mowed down as many as ten persons, including two women, four children and a teenager at Langparpang village under Kherani police station in Hamren subdivision in Karbi Anglong district last night. While nine of the victims were Biharis, one belonged to Nepali community. It may be mentioned that exactly a month back, i.e. on June 16 the UPDS had shot dead two persons belonging to the Bihari community in the district. A Correspondent from Barpeta adds: Three top-level leaders of the United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) and a personnel of the Assam Commando Force were killed in an encounter between a joint team of Barpeta police-Assam Commando Force and a group of ULFA militants at No 2 Block in Balapara-Kawoimari area under Sarthebari police station in Barpeta district at around 5.30 a.m. today. [S]

Woman killed, 5 ultras nabbed

AGARTALA, July 17 (PTI): A non-tribal woman has been killed by unidentified extremists and police arrested five insurgents in separate incidents in Tripura, police said. Police recovered the body of Sarojini Biswas (70) with sharp cut injury marks from the nearby forest of Salem village in Dhalai district today. The ultras kidnapped her from the area on Saturday. [S]

Two ULFA cadres killed in shoot-out

JORHAT, July 19: Two United Liberation Front of Asom (ULFA) cadres, including a woman, were killed on the spot in an encounter with the police at Saraipani along the Assam-Nagaland border this evening. Two other cadres, however, managed to escape. [S]

OC transferred for alleged rape

TANGLA, July 20: The Officer-in-Charge (OC) of Panari police station, Mr P. Bora has been transferred to the district headquarters for allegedly raping his maid servant. Darrang SP said that the OC was transferred following a complaint lodged by the maid servant. [S]

Gastro outbrak in camps AGARTALA, July 20: The outbreak of gastroenteric diseases and malaria due to consumption of contaminated water has taken a heavy toll in the six Reang refugees camps in Kanchanpur sub-division of North Tripura. According to official statistics, 937 people, mostly children, have died of various diseases since October 1997, when Reang tribesmen entered North Tripura as refugees from Mizoram. Nearly 66 people have died in Santipara and Naisingpara refugee camps during the past three months. Official sources said the list of the deceased was still being compiled. [TT]

Girl molested by night bus staff

JORHAT, July 20: A girl passenger of a private night bus from Lakhimpur to Jorhat was allegedly molested by a staff of the bus near Katoky Pukhuri at Jorhat when other passengers of the bus got down this morning. [S]

Woman, 2 children commit suicide

MORAN, July 21: A pregnant woman, Sabita Mahato (37), her daughter, Dibyasikha (7) and son, Gaurav Pratik (4), committed suicide in their residence at ONGC Colony here by setting ablaze themselves after pouring kerosine in the wee hours today. Sabita's husband, Dr Prem Kumar Mahato, is an ONGC employee. [S]

Manipur women's bodies condemn rape of housewife

IMPHAL, July 23: Many women's voluntary organisations operating in this trouble-torn State have strongly condemned the "barbaric acts" committed by the personnel of the 112 Bn CRPF at Lamdan village in Bishnupur district on Wednesday evening. Poirei Leimarol Meira Paibi Apunba Manipur has expressed serious concern over the rape and molestation of a Lamdan housewife in front of their family members and urged the concerned authority to take up stringent action against the involved personnel without delay in the interest of the women community in the State. [AT]

Dowry victim lodges complaint

GOLAGHAT, July 24: A pregnant woman, stated to be a teacher has recently lodged a complaint in Golaghat police station alleging torture and ill treatment by her husband and other members of her in-laws' family for failing to satisfy their dowry demands. As learnt, the husband who hails from Benganakhowa gaon of Golaghat is an employee of the Fishery Department of Golaghat. [S]

Unidentified body of woman recovered

GUWAHATI, July 24: Meanwhile, Latasil police this afternoon recovered an unidentified body of a woman from a spot at Dhapolia hillside. The body bore external injuries and police suspect it to be a murder. The age of the body has been put at around 30. [AT]

Atrocities unleashed by CRPF at Lamdan
Statewide general strike called on July 26

IMPHAL, July 24: Annual of voluntary organisations including different human rights groups, students' unions, women associations and other voluntary organisations in Manipur have collectively called a 14-hour Statewide general strike on July 26 in protest against the atrocities committed by the CRPF at Lamdan as well as crimes committed by security personnel on the people during the last 20 years. The general strike will start at 4 am of July 26 till 6 pm of the same day. [AT]

3 Bangladeshis arrested

GUWAHATI, July 25: City police today nabbed three Bangladeshis from the Uzanbazar area at 8 am. Two of the nabbed are women and the third one is a nine-year-old boy. [AT]

Freak blast off Guwahati kills 4, injures 2

GUWAHATI, July 25: At least four people were killed and two others seriously injured in an explosion which occurred at a place, 2 k.m. off Byrnihat on Friday morning. According to a delayed report received here, the explosion took place at around 10 A.M. on Friday when the victims were closely examining a pencil battery-shaped object found in a heap of scrap materials in a dumping yard located in the area. The explosive went off instantly killing four people on the spot and seriously injuring a Rabha youth and local woman. The injured were rushed to the Down Town Hospital and are undergoing treatment since then, the police sources said. [NED]

CRPF orders probe into rape, molestation incidents in Manipur

IMPHAL, July 25: The CRPF authorities have instituted a court of inquiry to investigate the alleged rape and molestation incidents of July 19 at Lamdan Rongmei village in Bishnupur district involving the personnel of the 112 Bn CRPF posted at Lamdan. [AT]

14-hour general strike affects life in Manipur

IMPHAL, July 26 (PTI): Normal life was affected in Manipur today by the 14-hour general strike called by various organizations in protest against the alleged rape of a woman by CRPF personnel -- a charge denied by the security men. [S]

DHD kills two

GUWAHATI, July 26 (PTI): Tribal militant outfit, Dima Halong Daga (DHD), today shot dead two non-tribals including a woman and injured seven others, both tribals and non-tribals, in central Assam's North Cachar Hills district, police said. Armed DHD militants swooped on Harangjo Bazar under Haflong police station and indiscriminately fired from automatic weapons killing two on the spot. [S]

Army jawan dies in boat mishap

SONARI, July 26: A jawan of the 97-Field Regiment, Govinda Singh (22) died in a boat mishap when the Army team went to the Abhayapuri reserved forest on patrolling duty. [S]

Encephalitis claims 3 in Golaghat

GOLAGHAT, July 26: Encephalitis claimed at least three lives in Golaghat district and affected over 100. According to sources, while one Lalita Tanti died of the epidemic at Kushal Konwar Civil Hospital, two others -- a youth of Athmelia and a girl of Ghiladhari -- died of the disease on way to the hospital. [S]

Woman lynched

AGARTALA, July 28: A woman was lynched by villagers who suspected her to be a witch at Tairajbari under Sidhai police station in West Tripura on Thursday night, reports UNI. [AT]

Two women die as boat capsizes

KOKRAJHAR, July 28: Two Adivasi women lost their lives in a boat capsize in the river Nayantara after they ran away fearing clashes between the Adivasi Cobra militants and the activists of Jharkhandi Sangram Parishad, URMCA and Virsa Commando Force at Pwilaguri (Srirampur) under Gossaigaon police station last evening. [S]

Beauty parlour raided, 6 held

GUWAHATI, July 30: It was meant to be beauty parlour but the activities that were going on inside it were quite different. Inside the premises of the Sainraj Beauty Parlour, located on the second floor of the Kuber Hotel building, flourished a flesh trade racket. A CID team this evening nabbed six persons, including three girls supposed to be specialists in the beauty business, from the 'parlour'. Among them were the owner and a customer. [AT]

Six arrested for vandalism

JORHAT, July 31: The police arrested six youths on the charge of creating an unruly scene at the District and Session Judges court here when the hearing of a rape case was going on. [S]

Two convicted in rape case

JORHAT, July 31: District and Session Judge Mohammad Habibullah convicted two youths guilty of rape and sent them to jail under Section 448/326/376 (2G) 34. The jail term will, however, be declared by the court tomorrow. According to sources, a woman had been gangraped near Kotoki Pukhuri of Jorhat by five youths on January 28, 1993. The convicted youths are -- Prasanta Bordoloi alias Santanu Bordoloi and Prasanta Hazarika. Another youth involved in the case has been absconding. [S]

Rs 3.61-lakh scam detected JORHAT, July 31: Financial anomalies amounting to Rs 3,61,998 in the implementation of the National Obstetric Welfare Scheme under the National Social Assistance Programme came to light when a magistrate, who had probed into the financial anomalies, submitted the report to the Jorhat DC. According to a source in the district administration, it was mentioned in the cash book that Rs 10,97,195 had been given as assistance to pregnant women at different times, but after the financial year 1995-96 the lists of beneficiaries were not received in the office. [S]

Six held for killing driver

NAGAON, Aug 1: A driver of a maruti van was killed by the passengers at Salona, about 30 km on the east of Nagaon yesterday and fled away with the van. According to the officer-in-charge of Samaguri police station, Mr S Banerjee, the passengers -- four men and two women and two children -- were arrested by the police at Khatkhati in Karbi-Anglong border. According to reports, the passengers had hired the vehicle from Dispur to go to Dimapur. [S]

NLFT kills 3, kidnaps 5 in Tripura

AGARTALA, Aug 2: After a brief silence, the outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militants have struck once again. Insurgents belonging to the outfit last evening around 6.30 pm attacked Induria, a predominantly non-tribal village in West Tripura dist and shot down three people. Three others including a woman were injured in the attack and the militants kidnapped five persons while retreating to a nearby jungle. [AT]

10-hour NC Hills bandh today

HAFLONG, Aug 3: The Autonomous State Demand Committee (ASDC), Dimasa Students' Union (DSU), North Cachar Hills Students' Federation (NCHSF) and Dimasa Woman Society (DWS) called a 10-hour North Cachar Hills bandh on August 4 from 5 a.m. in protest against the indiscriminate firing at Harangajao Bazar on July 26 by unidentified gunmen that had killed two innocent people, and the gangrape of two women by the Army on July 13 at Dimasa village. [S}

Dowry-related torture
Duliajan housewife escapes to safety

DIBRUGARH, Aug 4 : A housewife of Duliajan escaped to safety after she came to know of a plot to kill her by her husband and her mother-in-law. In her complaint before the police, she said her husband had been torturing her for quite sometime demanding additional dowry. [AT]

Man arrested for beating wife

JORHAT, Aug 5: Police officials of Teok Police Station arrested one Biplab Bora (20) on August 4 for allegedly beating his wife and demanding dowry. Biplab Bora, a resident of Lahing village had married Minti Phukan in April this year. [S]

Girl commits suicide

GUWAHATI, Aug 6: One Merina Begum (16) last night committed suicide at her residence at Pub Bhaskar Nagar here by consuming poison. Police said that Merina committed suicide as her father Mafizuddin Ahmed, who was in an inebriated condition, continued to beat her mother and herself. [S]

Two jawans arrested

JORHAT, Aug 6: Two Jawans of the Assam Rifles were arrested here today on the charges of making obscene gestures to a woman. [S]

Youth arrested on murder charge

AIZAWL, Aug 7: A youth has been arrested from Bawngkawn police station area in Mizoram in connection with the killing of an old woman in Lengpui village recently, police said on Sunday, reports PTI. [AT]

Month-old child recovered

GUWAHATI, Aug 7: A month-old child was recovered by Basistha police from the park at the crossroads of Khanapara locality this morning. Later, with due permission from the chief judicial magistrate, the child was adopted by one Lutumi Das of the area. [AT]

70-yr-old bhakat arrested for rape

NAGAON, Aug. 8: Acting on a case filed by one Nabin Medhi of Jajari in Nagoan, police arrested a 70-year-old bhakat, Mukunda Deka yesterday on the charge of raping the 13-year-old daughter of Mr Nabin Medhi. The bhakat was produced before the court today. The court, after taking the confessional statement of the girl, sent the bhakat to jail custody. [S]

Three bodies recovered

RANGIYA, Aug. 8: Two decomposed unidentifed bodies were found floating in the heart of Rangiya town in the Paralia river, below a wooden bridge leading to Rangiya College today. The body of a young girl had been recovered yesterday at Gurkuchi village in the outskirts of Rangiya town. [S]

2 get 12 years RI for rape

JORHAT, Aug 9: The Jorhat District and Sessions Judge Md Habibullah on Tuesday sentenced two youths to 12 years rigorous imprisonment each for raping a housewife in the city in 1993. The court found the accused Santanu Bordoloi alias Prasanta alias Sonmoni (26) and Prasanta Hazarika alias Kolia (25), both hailing from the city, guilty under Sections 448/323/376 (2 G) and 34 under the IPC and sentenced then to RI for one year each under the first and second count each and RI for ten years and a fine of Rs 2,000 in default, RI for another six months under the first and second count. [AT]

90 drug deaths in Mizoram since Jan

AIZAWL, Aug 9: At least 90 people, including seven women have died due to drug abuse in Mizoram since January, State Excise Commissioner R Lalzuava said on Monday. Lalzuava said 90 per cent of the drug deaths were due to abuse of spasmo proxyvon, a painkiller widely misused by the youths here and the death figure during the seven months this year has surpassed last year's record of 84. [AT]

Police bust racket in immoral trafficking

GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Geetanagar Police this evening busted a racket in immoral trafficking and arrested three accomplices from quarter No 527/E of the Bamunimaidam Railway Colony. The accused have been identified as Achit Goswami (50) and his wife Geeta Goswami and a woman Madhabi Das (25). [AT]

Abducted child rescued

NAGAON, Aug. 9: Some unidentified miscreants abducted a five-year-old child, Amrit Patel, son of Mr Raju Patel of Dakhin Hoiborgaon from Khutikatia when he was coming from school today. The police and the public, in a swift action, rescued the child from Dhing-Hoiborgaon bus stand. [S]

Two children die GUWAHATI, Aug 9: Two children died in separate incidents in the city today. One Ravi Das (6) of New Colony area of Pandu was electrocuted by a snapped electrical wire near his house. Post mortem was done this evening. A sibling of the deceased also died following drowning in a pond sometime back. One three-month-old child drowned in flash flood waters near the Senapati road colony of Silpukhuri in the early hours today. [AT]

Children die of encephalitis and viral fever

NUMALIGARH, Aug 12: Two school children -- one from Gohaingaon LP school and the other from Rajabari ME school under Bokakhat sub-division died of encephalitis and viral fever on August 6 and August 9 respectively. [S]

Villagers take flood control in their own hands, wreak havoc

KALAG, Aug 12 (IANS): A simple survival tactic being adopted by people living on the banks of swollen rivers in this north-eastern State has been giving nightmares to flood control authorities. Locals have developed a method, called "public cuts", to prevent floods in their own villages even though it results in the submergence of other areas. [S]

Girl beheaded, assailant lynched

DIBRIGARH, Aug 17: A Class XII girl student of the Sarbajanin Balika Vidyalayla, Nibha Gogoi was beheaded by one Dulal Gogoi this morning in a horrific incident at Tinsukia. Outraged members of the public then beat up Dulal who succumbed to his injuries at the Tinsukia Civil Hospital at around 2-30 pm. It is learnt that Dulal was of unstable mind. The 46 year old man attacked the 19 year old Nibha at Luhari Nepaligaon, opposite the Tinsukia Shivdham temple for no apparent reason. She was beheaded by a single slash of the dao. [AT]

5 timber smugglers gunned down

BILASIPARA, Aug 21: Five timber smugglers, including two women, were gunned down by suspected NDFB ultras with automatic weapons at Garobasra in Mahamaya forest range under Bagaribari PS in Dhubri district around 4.30 this morning. Police sources said that about 50 people hailing from Khamargaon were busy in felling sal trees when the ultras started firing killing five of them on the spot. [AT]

Woman commits suicide, husband arrested

JORHAT, Aug 22: Manoj Bora, a resident of Rajamaidam area of the city was arrested by the police on August 19 on charges of physically and mentally torturing his wife Bina, who could take it no more and committed suicide by setting herself oblaze on August 11. [AT]

Woman stabbed to death Cries for help fail to awake neighbours GUWAHATI, Aug 22: A woman, stabbed by unknown assailants in her house near the Ganesh Mandir in Pub Sarania in the dead of night, died after none of her neighbours responded to her cries for help. In a glaring instance of apathy on the part of fellow residents of the locality, the 50-plus woman, Kamleshwar Kaur, wailed for more than half an hour for help which never arrived. She died with a lone illiterate woman, Sahida Begum, living in a nearby garage with her children, watching helplessly. This when the locality is teeming with people. [AT]

Leptospirosis

GUWAHATI, Aug 23 (UNI): Leptospirosis, the deadly disease carried by rat, which had wreaked havoc claiming several lives in parts of Maharashtra and Delhi recently, broke out in Guwahati also. According to Guwahati Municipal Commissioner (GMC) authorities, two such cases affecting children were detected in a Delhi-based laboratory a week back. [S]

Tribal girl hacked to death in W Tripura

AGARTALA, Aug 23: A twelve-year-old tribal girl was hacked to death, another tribal was injured by a group of non-tribals at Subalkobrapara in West Tripura district, police said here yesterday, reports PTI. [AT]

Five killed in Tripura

AGARTALA, Aug 27: Five persons including two militants were killed, as many injured and one was missing in separate incidents in Tripura since last night. Police said, two insurgents of the banned NLFT were killed during an encounter with security forces at Sambukcherra area in South Tripura district today. In another incident, suspected militants of the United Bengali Liberation Front of Tripura attacked two houses and hacked to death three tribal women and wounded two at Tarkajala village in West Tripura district late last night. One girl was missing. [S]

NHRC asks Assam Govt to pay Rs 1 lakh for death of woman in jail

NEW DELHI, Aug 27 (UNI): Taking a serious note of the death of a pregnant woman prisoner in Dibrugarh jail due to denial of timely and requisite medical treatment, the National Human Rights Commission has directed the Assam Government to pay an immediate interim relief of Rs 100,000 to the dependents of the victim. NHRC sources told UNI today that the Commission had also asked the State Government to recover the amount from the delinquent public officers for failure to perform their duties resulting in the death of undertrial Dipali Das as it imposed primary liability on them. [S]

Husband, father-in-law held for murder

ORANG, Sept 1: Police arrested the husband and father-in-law of a housewife -- Mina Goswami -- along with two other persons in connection with the death of Mina under mysterious circumstances on August 30. Mina's relatives filed a case at Orang police station alleging atrocities on Mina by her in-laws leading to her death, adding that she was poisoned to death over her failure to meet dowry demands. [S]

Schoolgirl missing

TEZPUR, Sept 2: Fifteen-year-old Arundhati Bora, daughter of Mr Lidhar Bora of Parbhatia here and a student of St Joseph Convent School has been missing since yesterday. She left for tuition in the evening but did not turn up. Her bicycle was, however, recovered near Tezpur railway station in an abandoned condition. [S]

Attempt to abduct girl foiled

BARPETA, Sept 3: An attempt to kidnap a 17-year-old girl of Madhabpur in Dongorkusi area in Barpeta, Laila Khatun, daughter of Surya Ali by a woman from Bihar was foiled by Surya Ali and his son Moinal Ali. According to reports, a woman from Bihar lured and took away Laila when her family members were not in the house at 10.30 a.m. on August 31. Surya Ali and his son Moinal Ali, who had been searching Laila, at last traced her on the Delhi-bound Brahmaputra Mail at Barpeta railway station on September 1 along with the woman from Bihar. Moinal Ali managed to dragged Laila out from the train after a exchange of hot words with the woman from Bihar. [S]

Peace march in Kokrajhar

GUWAHATI, Sept 3: A peace march was taken out today in Kokrajhar to promote peace and harmony and create awareness against violence. More than 10,000 people belonging to different walks of life, students, NGOs and women's organizations participated in the march which was flagged off by Kokrajhar Deputy Commissioner JI Kathar, an official release states. The prominent people who participated in the march and addressed the gathering were the secretary of Bodo Sahitya Sabha Gopinath Borgoyary, former MP Charan Narzary and president of Adivasi Seva Samity Badan Hansda and others. [S]

Abandoned girls rescued

GUWAHATI, Sept 4: Jalukbari police rescued two abandoned minor girls, one aged two years and another ten months old from the Adabari bus terminus. [S]

70 ultras lay down arms in Tripura

AGARTALA, Sept 4: Seventy insurgents including two women of the Tripura Tribal Commando Force (TTCF) led by Gouranga Nath Debbarma alias Gean laid down arms and surrendered before Tripura Finance Minister Badal Chaudhuri inside the Assam Rifles ground here today. The ultras have deposited eight 303 rifles, three grenades, three revolvers, two pistols, three country-made bombs and many live ammunition. [S]

Minister charged with raping minor

KOKRAJHAR, Sept 4: State Minister for WPT and BC Rajendra Mushahari has been accused of raping a 11-year-old girl here at a hotel and making her pregnant. Her mother, Maneswary Brahma has filed an FIR at Gossaigaon PS in this connection. According to the victim she was taken to Hotel Shantiban at Barobisa by the neighbour on the pretext of going to a movie. The Minister allegedly raped her in the hotel room and later threatened her of dire consequences if she revealed the matter. [AT]

Man arrested for dowry demands

GUWAHATI, Sept 4: Jalukbari police has recently arrested one Ram Dhian Surasia from Kushahari village in Deboria district in Uttar Pradesh on the charges of perpetrating mental and physical torture on his wife, Ms Radhika Choudhury demanding dowry. [S]

People lynch NLFT militant in Tripura

AGARTALA, Sept 5 (UNI): Local people hacked to death a hard-core National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militant while ultras kidnapped five people during the past 24 hours in Tripura. Police said here today that a top NLFT ultra Arun Debbarma, wanted in several cases of killing, kidnapping, rape and arson, was caught by villagers of Karaimura village under Bishalgarh police station in West Tripura. Thereafter he was paraded before the houses that had fallen victim to his crimes before being hacked to death. A delayed report said here that last week the ultras had abducted two women from Jarulbachai areas under Bishalgarh police station in West Tripura. [S]

Four arrested for raping woman

JORHAT, Sept 6: Sivasagar police today arrested, Deepak Hazarika, Lakshi Dutta and Diganta Hazarika of Mothadang village of Sivasagar -- on the charge of raping a woman on the night of August 27. Two other youths allegedly involved in the rape are absconding. [S]

Ladies fight in front of school

JORHAT, Sept 6: Two ladies, mothers of two schoolchildren, entering into a prolonged, no-holds-barred physical fight in front of the Maktab Primary School, shouting at each other using obscene language at 11.30 am today, made hundreds of passers-by and the teachers and students hang their heads in shame. The fight was finally ended at the intervention of the headmaster of the school who threatened to call police. [S]

Probe into gangrape by rebels ordered

AGARTALA, Sept 6: The state Wakf Board has ordered an enquiry into reports that militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura raped a number of women at Jamtoli village in West Tripura recently to create a communal divide in the state. [TT]

Minister denies rape charge

GUWAHATI, Sept 8: The State WPT Minister, Sri Rajendra Muchahary has refuted the rape charge levelled by an 11-year-old girl in Bongaigaon district recently. Addressing a press conference here today, Sri Muchahary said 'I am innocent and it is a political cons-piracy to malign my image in the eyes of public.' [AT]

NE CMs exhort people to isolate insurgents

GUWAHATI, Sept 9: The Chief Ministers of all the seven north-eastern States today gave a clarion call to the people of the region to isolate insurgent outfits who have become puppets at the hands of anti-India forces. Addressing a peace rally at Judges' Field here, which was attended by about 10,000 people including school children in uniforms, the Chief Ministers of the region also appealed to militants to give peace a chance in the interest of faster economic development of the region. [AT]

Man held for raping, throwing acid on girl

AGARTALA, Sept 11: A 58-year-old man was severely beaten up by neighbours when he allegedly threw acid on a teenaged girl after raping her, police said on Monday, reports PTI. The man called a 15-year-old girl to his house at Aralia, near here, on Sunday on the pretext of giving flowers and allegedly raped her and later threw acid on her when she threatened to disclose it to her parents. Hearing the screams of the girl, neighbours rushed to the spot and caught him, police said. They burnt down his house and started beating him before police rescued him.The girl was admitted to G B Hospital here with severe burn injuries. Police arrested the man. [AT]

Mother hacks to death 1-day-old baby

AGARTALA, Sept 11 (PTI): A widow who gave birth to a boy hacked it to death at Kanchanpur village in North Tripura district, police said here today. The baby was born on Saturday to the woman, who had lost her husband seven years ago. [S]

Youth killed

AGARTALA, Sept 12: Militants of a newly-formed outfit hacked to death a Bengali youth in Gandacherra subdivision yesterday for having married a tribal girl. Police sources said the militants have been threatening Pradip Shil (30), a resident of Narayanpur village in Gandacherra subdivision and a driver by profession, to leave his wife Laxmi Tripura and pay a fine of Rs 10,000 ever since his marriage last year. Shil had ignored the threats. [TT]

Villagers brand woman as witch, assault her physically

GUWAHATI, Sept 13 (PTI): A mother of six has been "banned" from entering her hamlet to see her children, by villagers who assaulted her, broke both her arms after branding her a "witch." [S]

2 women killed in Nagaland bus mishap

KOHIMA, Sept 13: At least two women were killed and eleven injured, one seriously, when the bus they were travelling in rolled down the road in Nagaland's Mon district Monday, reports UNI. [AT]

Section 144 clamped in Cachar

CALCUTTA, Sept 13: The Cachar administration has clamped Section 144 in the entire district yesterday following firing by Central Reserve Police Force personnel on a mob at Saidpur, six km from this south Assam town. A college student was killed and seven persons, including six schoolchildren, were injured in the incident. [TT]

Woman killed in crossfire

AGARTALA, Sept 16: One elderly tribal woman was shot dead in a crossfire between suspected NLFT militants and security forces. [AT]

Shillong violence leaves 4 dead

SHILLONG, Sept 18: In a gruesome incident unidentified miscreants stabbed to death two people and strangled a minor girl at Nongmynsong area here on Sunday, reports UNI. According to police, assailants entered the residence of a grocery shop owner and stabbed him to death following an altercation. His 12-year-old niece who rushed on hearing the commontion was strangled to death. A relative who had come to the house was also stabbed. Local people nabbed one of the killers but the others fled.
Unknown gunmen killed a local businessman on September 15 in Barabazar here and injured three others. No arrest had been made so far in this connection. [AT]

Main accused in Shillong triple murder case nabbed

SHILLONG, Sept 20: Rakesh Sarma, the main accused in the triple murder case at Nongmynsong in the city has been arrested in an early breakthrough for the police. The alleged murderer, who had been absconding since the ghastly murders of two men and a 12-year old girl on September 17, was loitering suspiciously in Mawdiangdiang locality in the city when the public caught him and handed him over to the police. He was severely assaulted by the public before being handed over to the authorities. [AT]

4 students arrested for bid to abduct girls

TINSUKIA, Sept 21: The police arrested four students of Tinsukia College -- Dulal Konwar, Jatin Hazarika, Parthajit Chaliha and Ankan Saikia -- on charges of attempting to kidnap two girl students of another college in a Tata Sumo from Parbotia Road near Tinsukia College on September 19. The car was driven by a student of City College of Dibrugarh, Rakesh Rajan Baruah. [S]

Atrocities on women on the rise, says Women Commission report

AGARTALA, Sept 21: A recent report of the State Woman Commission has revealed that the rate of the crime against is increasing in Tripura in an alarming proportion. According to the report the number of crimes against women has increased more than five times since 1995. However, compared to the complaints filed to the commission the disposal rate remained very low. [S]

150 ASTC employees arrested

JORHAT, Sept 26: One hundred and fifty Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) employees, including women were arrested by Jorhat police when the employees resorted to block the national highway today. Of the 150 arrested employees, 110 were from Jorhat and 40 from Teok. The ASTC employees had called the agitational programme in protest against the State Government's apathy towards their demands. [S]

Tripura rebels lynched AGARTALA, Sept 26: Two militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura were lynched in separate incidents during the past 24 hours. Dreaded NLFT militant Laxman Debbarma, responsible for a large number of killings, abductions and forced displacement of non-tribals from Melaghar-Sonamura area, was lynched by local tribals in Umraibari area last night. In a separate incident, another NLFT militant Radha Reang was lynched by local tribals in Sripur village in Chittagong Hill Tracts of Bangladesh bordering Tripura on September 21. Gandacherra police had received information that the slain rebel had raped a number of girls at gunpoint in Sripur village. On September 21, local tribals found him alone. They at once lynched and buried him. [TT]

Woman murdered by son

BOKAKHAT, Sept 26: One Aiti Bhuyan (70) of Hatikhuli tea estate under Kahara police out post was killed by her son Harish Chandra Bhuyan (25) with a spade on September 23 at about 4 p.m.. The murderer was absconding till the filing of the report. In a separate incident one Patali of Kaziranga was injured by his son Ananta Gogoi with a kapida on September 24. [S]

Two arrested over dowry death

JORHAT, Sept 29: Police today arrested the husband and mother-in-law of Dibya Arandhara, a housewife who had allegedly committed suicide at Bhogamukh under Teok police station on September 26. Police said, investigations have revealed that the woman was forced to commit suicide following constant dowry demands and atrocities from her mother-in-law. [S]

Thousands of people particularly the womenfolk and students staged a mammoth rally at Imphal recently demanding protection of territorial integrity of Manipur. The Assam Tribune photo.

Man hacks 5 to death in puja pandal

MARGHERITA, Oct 8: In a bizzare incident a person belonging to a particular community today hacked to death five persons at Kailari Durga puja pandal at Namdang under Margherita police station in Tinsukia district, with a dao. Enraged by the gruesome killing the crowd at the puja pandal beat the man to death on the spot. Two children -- Rubiya Begam (5) and Sonia Tamang (5) -- were seriously injured in the incident. The victims have been identified as Suresh Tamang (35), Lakhikanta Mohra (35), Sab Bahadur Sonar (37), Raju Chetri (36) and Geeta Chetri (22). Police is investigating the background of the man. [S]

NLFT ultra killed, 3 others arrested in Tripura

AGARTALA, Oct 11: The Assam Rifles engaged in counter-insurgency operations in the State has shot dead a dreaded National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militant Poitu Debbarma at Duraicherra area in Dhalai district Wednesday morning. One more militant and two women collaborators were also arrested by the Assam Rifles troops. [AT]

Jawan arrested for kidnapping woman

MANGALDAI, Oct 12: Mangaldai police arrested an Army jawan, Nayak P. Ganeshan of 207 Hill Regiment for kidnapping a woman, Ms Minu Deka of Gelabeel village near Orang under Mazbat police station yesterday. The police rescued the woman and arrested the jawan from a hotel in Morigaon town at 10 p.m. yesterday. [S]

Lilong tense following police firing

IMPHAL, Oct 12: Tension is still high in the Lilong area of Thoubal district in the State following police firing and lathicharge on agitators in connection with the death of a police driver from the area. The inhabitants of the Lilong area particularly the students body and womenfolk blacked the National Highway-39 at Lilong till 10 today. However, it was cleared by the police later. In view of yesterday's incident in which more than five persons sustained bullet injuries during a police firing to control a mob, no vehicular movement was seen along the Lilong area. [AT]

Panchayat polls throw school academic schedule out of gear GUWAHATI, Oct 13: Even as certain quarters in the State are at work to stymie the long overdue panchayat polls once again, the process initiated by the Government and the State Election Commission in their bid to hold the election has already taken a heavy toll on school children all over the State. While it is still uncertain whether the polls could be held by the November end deadline set by the Census Authority in view of the latest High Court order related to boundary of Missing Autonomous Council area, the process has thrown the academic calender in the State into disarray much to the annoyance of these school children who have been forced burn the midnight oil with preponed annual examination schedule. [AT]

Girl rescued

GUWAHATI, Oct 15: A city police team led by Additional Superintendent PK Dutta rescued a kidnapped girl from a hideout in Shillong on Saturday night and arrested her abductor, one Umesh Das (23), from Kalaigaon. The girl was abducted about a month back from her house at Kumarikata locality. A case was registered in this regard in Jalukbari police station. [AT]

9 children die of diseases in Tuensung

KOHIMA, Oct 16: A combination of diseases had claimed the lives of at least nine children below five years of age in Kuthur village under Tuensang district of Nagaland since September last week, delayed official reports said today. [AT]

Army firing creates panic

MANGALDAI, Oct 17: Two housewives and their five minor children had a providential escape when the Army personnel opened fire on their Ambassador car near Mangaldai police station this evening. It is learnt that Ms Tarulata Devi, wife of Mr Deba Kanta Sarma of Prafulla Nagar and Ms Tutu Moni Goswami, wife of Mr Naba Kumar Sarma of Salalpara of Mangaldai town, were asked to stop their car by three armed personnel in civvies. Suspecting them to be antisocials, the driver tried to reach Mangaldai police station as fast as he could. The armed men followed them in a Maruti van and opened fire near Mangaldai jail. The car immediately entered the police station and the van too followed it. Later, it was revealed that three Army personnel led by Lieutenant P. Tripathy of 5 Assam Regiment opened fire on the Ambassador car. Meanwhile, a complaint has been lodged with Mangaldai police station. [S]

Rape tops list of crimes by soldiers

SHILLONG, Oct 21: rape and molestation are the most common crimes committed by soldiers in troubled north-eastern States and Jammu and Kashmir. This is based on statistics of court martial for various crimes and rights violations by soldiers provided by the Army itself. [AT]

15-year-old girl gang-raped

DHEKIAJULI, Oct 23: Five miscreants -- Billar Hussain, Nurjamal, Moinul Haq, Jakir Hussain and Pagla -- gang-raped a 15-year-old girl, the daughter of Nanda Tasa of No. 1 Joysagar Gaon in Borsola area under Dhekiajuli police station after taking her out forcibly from her residence last night. A case has been registered against the five miscreants, who have been absconding. [S]

Woman killed in Tripura blast

AGARTALA, Oct 24: A tribal woman was killed and three others injured in a bomb attack by suspected United Bengali Liberation Front militants in the Chhailengta area under Manu police station of Dhalai district this morning. The woman belonged to the minority Darlong tribal community, our correspondent reports. In a separate incident yesterday, policemen in Santir Bazar police station of South Tripura recovered the bodies of three persons, including one tribal who had been abducted earlier by National Liberation Front of Tripura militants. [TT]

ONGC engineer's wife missing

JORHAT, Oct 24: The wife of an ONGC engineer has been missing since October 21. Acting on an FIR lodged by the father of the woman alleging that his daughter had left her husband's house due to torture by the husband, the Jorhat police interrogated the engineer today. The engineer, who hails from Delhi, said before the police that he had been searching for his wife since October 21. [S]

One held

GUWAHATI, Oct 26: Jalukbari police on Wednesday evening arrested one Rajiv Das, an attendent in a PCO at Goshala area for harassing a married woman by speaking obscenities over telephone. Sources said that as the accused was doing so for about last one week, police laid a trap for catching him following a complaint. [AT]

Rescued

GUWAHATI, Oct 26: Bharalu police on Thursday rescued the girl abducted by Manoj Hazarika, a surrendered ULFA man some days ago. The girl who belongs to Machkhowa area was taken to Dibrugarh was rescued on the couple's return to the city. However, the accused managed to give the slip to policemen. [AT]

Assam minister 'rape victim' delivers boy

GUWAHATI, Oct 26: Police will move court for a DNA test to ascertain the paternity of the baby born to a woman who claims to have been raped by Assam minister Rajendra Mushahary. Monila Brahma, who filed an FIR six months after the alleged rape took place, gave birth to a boy at the Kokrajhar Civil Hospital on Tuesday. [TT]

ULFA, NDFB hand suspected 12 die in Nalbari violence GUWAHATI, Oct 27: Altogether 12 persons including three policemen were killed in two separate incidents in Nalbari district during the last 24 hours. Nine persons were killed and at least 12 injured when militants opened indiscriminate fire near Hari Mandir in the heart of Nalbari town around 6.30 pm this evening. Sources here informed that a group of militants coming in a Tata Sumo vehicle opened fire from both side of the running vehicle from AK-47 assault rifles. Six persons were killed on the spot and three others injured persons died in the hospital later. About 12 persons including women were injured in the militant attack. Police suspected involvement of banned ULFA militants in the incident. Our Nalbari Correspondent adds: Earlier three police personnel including a Sub-Inspector were killed in an ambush by National Democratic Front of Boroland (NDFB) militants at Ananda Bazar village under Tamulpur police station last night. Our Chabua Correspondent adds: A hardcore ULFA militant was killed in an encounter with the police at Chetia Pathar about four kilometre from Chabua at around 3.20 am. The killed militant was identified as Dharmindra Changmai alias Mithu Baruah from Boruahola Balijan gaon under Panitola police station. Police recovered one revolver and five live cartridges from the possession of the militant. Our staff reporter adds: Suspected Bodo militants shot dead a member of the People's Democratic Front (PDF) -- Anil Sargiary near Golagaon village in Barpeta district last night. In a separate incident a central committee member of the party Matindra Doimary was seriously injured when suspected militants sprayed bullets on him near Barpeta yesterday. He was later admitted to the Guwahati Medical College Hospital. [AT]

Bodies of newly-married couple found

GOLAGHAT, Oct 28: The recovery of the bodies of a young, newly-married couple from the paddy fields at Singijan in village Balijan this morning has created a great deal of sensation here. According to reports, Dudu Bora (28) of Balijan had married a young girl of Gamariguri village about three months back and stayed there. They had come to Dudu Bora's parental house at Balijan day before yesterday. But the recovery of their bodies from a paddy field in Balijan today has created a mystery as to whether it was murder or suicide. [S]

NLFT strikes again to prove its existence in Tripura

AGARATALA, Oct 29: The outlawed National Liberation Front of Tripura has bounced back with their brutality as the impact created by the achievements of security forces are fizzling out speedily. They killed at least 24 persons during this month including a sub inspector of police and five CPI(M) activists. The massacre of Debendra Sardar Para under Teliamura police station on Friday evening was the worst among all these incidents. Six persons including a 80 year old woman and three children were killed. [S]

History-sheeter arrested

JORHAT, Oct 29: A noted history-sheeter of the Checkonidhwa area near Club Road here, Pulin Dutta (33), was arrested recently by the Lichubari police and remanded to jail custody on charges of molesting a young girl in the Baghching area last Sunday evening. [AT]

Woman arrested in bride burning case

JORHAT, Oct 30: One Putani Begum of Naoboicha area under Bhogdoi police station was arrested by the police today on the charge of bride burning. The daughter-in-law of Putani Begum, who sustained 60 per cent burn injury, and who is under treatment at Jorhat Civil Hospital, said before the police that her mother-in-law set her afire pouring kerosene on her body. [S]

10 killed in Manipur firing IMPHAL, Nov 2: At least ten persons, including a woman, were killed at Malom near Tulihal airport today following indiscriminate firing by the personnel of 8 Assam Rifles, sources said. The incident took place around 3.30 at Malom Makha Hikai about 10 km south of Imphal on Tiddim Road when a bomb was exploded by a suspected underground outfit operating in Valley area. The militants exploded improvised explosive device on a convoy of 8 Assam Rifles personnel. Soon after the explosion, the personnel of 8 Assam Rifles fired several rounds indiscriminately in and around the explosion site killing the civilians who were standing near the bus stand while two other civilians on a bridge nearby also fell victim to the bullets. [AT]

118 drug deaths in Mizoram

AIZAWL, Nov 2: At least 118 persons, including ten women, have died due to drug abuse in Mizoram since January this year, state excise commissioner R Lalzauva said here Wednesday, reports PTI. While six persons died due to heroin addiction, the others died due to prolonged consumption of a particular brand of strong painkiller, Lalzauva told PTI. [AT]

Rs 4 lakh DRDA fund emlezzlement rocks Khowang Dev Block

DIBRUGARH, Nov 2: More than 150 men and women from the roadside villages of Moran Subdivision of PWD (Roads) under Khowang Development Block in Dibrugarh district staged dharna in front of the office of the Deputy Commissioner, Dibrugarh district on October 30. It is worth mentioning here that millions of rupees got wasted from the fund alloted to DRDA for development works in rural areas. It is alleged that several lakhs of rupees were misappropriated by the departmental Engineers, Development Officers and a section of contractors. [S]

Bravery award winner among shootout victims IMPHAL, Nov 3: A recipient of National Bravery Award, 18-year-old S Bocha Singh had gone to the bus stand, along with his elder brother, to see off their aunt yesterday. And today, their bodies were lying stiff inside the morgue of the Regional Institute of Medical Sciences here. They were among the 10 victims of yesterday afternoon's shootout between insurgents and security forces at Malom area inside the town. Bocha Singh's brother S Robin Singh (25) was a government school teachers while his aunt L Sana Devi (52) a housewife. She was also the lone woman victim of the incident. According to police, some of them were K Ngouba Singh (35), O Sanatomba Singh (50), both employees of the food and civil supply department, A Raghumani Singh (34), a farmer, T Shantikumar Singh (18), G Babu Sharma (55), an employee of the Revenue Department. S Prakash (15) and Ksh Inaocha Singh (20) were students returning home after filling up the form of High School Leaving Certification Examination of Prakash. [AT] Indefinite curfew clamped in Imphal IMPHAL, Nov 3: In order to prevent any organised protest and public agitations in connection with the mowing down of 10 civilians by the personnel of 8 Assam Rifles, the district administration has clamped prohibitory orders in Imphal West and East districts today. The two District Magistrates of Imphal West and East districts have imposed indefinite curfew since 5 am today fearing angry reactions from the general public against the killing of ten innocent civilians including a woman yesterday at Malom near Imphal airport in a retaliatory fire by the personnel of 8 Assam Rifles posted at Nambol, following a bomb attack by ultras. [AT]

Assam girls' bid to loot bank in Pune PUNE, Nov 3: In filmi style, two young girls broke the glass cabin of a bank manager and asked him to hand over the cash but they were overpowered here yesterday, police said. The girls, aged 23 year and 18 year, both hailing from Tinsukia district of Assam, entered the manager's cabin of the State Bank of India branch on Ganeshkhind Road and pressed a television remote control against his temple, claiming it to be a gun. The girls also claimed to have planted a bomb inside the bank. The bank manager, Pramod Gosavi, however, saw through their bluff and alerted the security guards, who overpowered the girls and handed them over to the police. A customer was injured when the girls broke the glass cabin with a stone. Police said the girls hailed from respectable families in Assam, and during interrogation revealed that they had decided to rob the bank as they had no money to return to Assam. [AT]

Indefinite curfew enters second day
Govt orders magisterial inquiry into Malom massacre

IMPHAL, Nov 4: In what could be termed as a prompt step, the Manipur Government has ordered a magisterial inquiry into the Malom massacre in which ten innocent persons including a woman and four government employees were mowed down by the personnel of the 8 Assam Rifles following a bomb attack in air AR convoy by ultras on Thursday afternoon at Malom Makha Leikai under Nambol police station. [AT]

Action against PSO for taking 'bribe'

MORIGAON, Nov 5: Morigaon SP has taken punitive steps against Anwar Haque, the PSO of Morigaon ADC (revenue) JD Lahuar for allegedly taking bribe from some women promising them to make arrangement for the National Family Benefit Scheme (NFBS) pensions on November 3, when the ADC was out of station. Some senior citizens, who claimed to have witnessed the PSO taking bribe from the women, expressed concern over the incident. Many poor women alleged that the PSO collected money promising them NFBS pension benefit. [S]

Schoolteacher accused of rape

TEZPUR, Nov 5: One schoolteacher of Sankardev Sishu Niketan, situated near Polo Field of Tezpur town has absconded after alleged rape of an 11-year-old girl at a room in the school premises. According to eyewitnesses, the teacher, namely Ratneswar Deka, was taking tutorial class and later took the girl to a separate room where he allegedly committed the crime. [AT]

Churachandpur, Bishnupur residents facing problems IMPHAL, Nov 6: People residing in Churachandpur and Bishnupur districts have been facing certain problems including scarcity of foods and other essential items following the launch of an indefinite Tiddim road blockade by the students and womenfolks of Bishnupur bazar. The Bishnupur bazar and its periphery areas presented the sight of a ghost town for the fourth day today following the blockade by CI College students. The indefinite blockade was launched by the students in protest against the government's failure to provide necessary infrastructural facilities to the CI College since the past few years. They are also demanding an adequate number of teachers. [AT]

Body of 5-yr-old girl found

DHEMAJI, Nov 6: The decomposed body of the five-year-old daughter of Jogan Buragohain of Bhepara here, who had been missing since October 24, was recovered from a paddy field at Nalani Pam here today. [S]

6, including 2 policemen, hurt in lathicharge

GUWAHATI, Nov 6: Four National Students' Union of India (NSUI) activists and the DSP (Traffic), Mr B.N. Sarma and the in-charge of the Panbazar women police cell Ms Deepali Buragohain today received injuries during an incident of lathicharge and stone pelting when NSUI activists, who after staging a dharna at the Judges' Field tried to put up a blockade on the Mahatma Gandhi Road, to press for their demand for roll-back of petro prices, retention of the IM(DT) Act and against anti-student policy of the Government, etc. [S]

Kidnapped school girl rescued

JAMUGURIHAT, Nov 6: Great sensation prevails in the greater Itakhola area when the Jamugurihat Police in collaboration with Itakhola Out Post has rescued a school girl at Itakhola and arrested two youths and a woman who had kidnapped the girl from Biswanath Chariali, who was on her way to school on October 18. [S]

Ultras gun down 8 near Barpeta GUWAHATI, Nov 8: Eight persons including a woman and two minors were killed and five others injured, three of them seriously, by a joint group of suspected ULFA and NDFB militants at Sukrungbari under Labdandguri outpost of Sarbhog police station in Barpeta district at around 2.30 am today. Five of the killed persons belonged to minority community, two to Bihari community while the eighth victim was a member of majority Assamese community. [AT] Jaharuddin Bhuyan (Left) and Helima Khatun (Right), injured in the militants' attack near Sarbhog. Asomiya Pratidin photo.

Ultras nabbed

GUWAHATI, Nov 9: A joint team of city police and CRPF managed to nab a ULFA woman cadre identified as Geeta Saikia (22) alias Barnali Kachari from a House in Barbela village under Chandrapur police station last night and recovered many incriminating documents relating to the outfit's activities.
Our Jorhat Correspond adds: The Jorhat police apprehended ULFA 'activist' Saurabh Pran Tamuly from the Tarajan Sanshan area here yesterday night. Having gone to Myanmar for guerrilla training, he had to return half way as he was taken ill. Tamuly had reportedly visited Myanmar with another ULFA cadre Utpal Kachari, who recently surrendered at Dibrugarh. [AT]

'Witch hunting' creates terror among Goalpara tribals

DUDHNOI, Nov 9: Although Dudhnoi and its adjoining areas have been witnessing a much-needed calm over the past several months away from the fear psychosis triggered by the ruthlessness of the ultras, a new social evil in the name of 'witch hunting' has emerged eliminating innocent lives in the nearby tribal settlements. It is learnt that during the past few months in tribal settlements of Dudhnoi and its neighbouring localities atleast seven persons, including women brutally killed for supposedly practising 'witchcraft'. [AT]

Deliquents face harrowing time at State Vagrant Home

JORHAT, Nov 10: The juvenile delinquents at the State Vagrant Home at Jorhat's Lichubari area, are now having to spend harrowing days, only surviving on potato and rice for sustenance. The contractors who used to supply food materials to the vagrant home have stopped their supply, since they have not yet received their outstanding payment of more than two-years. As a result the authority concerned now somehow manages to provide the children with only rice and potato in the name of meals. There are 37 juvenile delinquents at present in the Vagrant Home. [S]

Tripura rebels torture mute AGARTALA, Nov 11: A four-year-old deaf-and-dumb tribal child was tortured by militants of the National Liberation Front of Tripura recently. Pradip Mog, the mute son of Patirai Reang, had been kidnapped by a group of NLFT rebels from Kalsi village under Baikhora police station of South Tripura on October 19. He was trussed and locked up at a remote hideout of the rebels at Haribratopara in a deep jungle under Natunbazar police station. Mog shared the camp with another hostage -- 22-year-old Dipak Mazumder, who had been abducted by the rebels from a bus on the Ghorakappa-Jatanbari route on October 17. Both of them were subjected to third degree torture. But for some unknown reason the militants vent their wrath on the boy. [TT]

Malnutrition, anaemia stalk Meghalaya village SHILLONG, Nov 12: Poverty, malnutrition and anaemia are stalking the poor people in the border areas of Meghalaya close to the international boundary with Bangladesh. A medical camp organised by the BSF at Rattachera village in Umkiang area of Jaintia Hills district on November 8 found majority of the villagers stricken with one ailment or another. Dr T Biswas, chief medical officer of 55 BSF battalion, heading the team of medical experts at the camp, said that malnutrition, anaemia and diarrhoea were common afflictions suffered by the poor villagers. Of the 225 patients attended to, 130 were children, 55 females and 40 men. The check-up also revealed that the border people are commonly afflicted also by disease like malaria, respiratory tract infection, gastroenteritis, vitamin 'A' deficiency etc. An interesting finding of the camp was that with family planning almost unknown, each family had six to eight children. As a result, most nursing mothers were highly anaemic. Medical facility in the village was non-existent and the nearest public health centre at Umkiang was 12 to 14 km away. Around 20 patients suffering from heart problems, bone injury etc, were advised to go for further investigation and treatment at a well-equipped hospital. [AT]

Woman succumbs to burn injuries

JORHAT, Nov 13: Ms Rehena Begum, who had sustained burn injury when her mother-in-law, Ms Putuli Begum had set on fire on her body pouring kerosene on October 30, succumbed to her injuries at Jorhat civil hospital here today. It may be mentioned that Rehena's mother-in-law had been arrested earlier in that connection. [S]

Two young girls missing

GOSSAIGAON, Nov 14: Seema Acharya (18), daughter of Dharni Acharya and Supriya Acharya (14) daughter of Subhas Acharya of Laskarpara and Pub-Chokchoka under Kumargram PS in Jalpaiguri district had remained missing since November 12. [S]

Six killed, three abducted in Tripura

AGARTALA, Nov 15: At least six persons were killed by Bengalis and tribals in retaliatory attacks at Kanchanpur-Dasala area in North Tripura district today. Several houses were also gutted. The tension sparked off when Bengali militants hurled a bomb on a jeep killing three Reangs. In retaliation the tribals attacked an ambulance of Ananta Bazar Hospital killing one Sujit Debnath, a pharmacist, driver Swapan Bhattacharjee and one Manoj Roy. The tribals also set afire many houses. Meanwhile, the militants abducted three persons including two children -- three-and-half-year-old Nayan Das and four-year-old Jhutan Das. [S]

Dhemaji polices breakthrough in Nami murder case

DHEMAJI, Nov 16: The Dhemaji police today achieved a breakthrough when it nabbed the killer of Miss Nami Burhagohain, the five-year-old cute girl, whose mutilated body had been recovered from a paddy field at village Dalanipam near here some days ago. The police, led by SP N.P. Haq did a meticulous job before nabbing Nami's 15-year-old cousin, Bhaben Burhagohain, who is the son of her father's elder brother, Nagen Burhagohain. The culprit is reported to have confessed before police that he had killed the girl, after she resisted his attempts to rape her in the paddy field on way to his house, by gagging her. [S]

Body of woman recovered

JORHAT, Nov 16: The body of Ms Rita Khound, who had been missing since November 6, was recovered near her residence at Moglougaon here today. [S]

Assam woman sold in Haryana

NAGARBERA, Nov 16: Ms Shaber Bhanu, daughter of Haran Ali of Alopati under Barpeta district was sold in Haryana three years ago by a group of miscreants of Mohishkhuti under Baghbar police station. The woman somehow managed to escape and returned home to explain the mystery behind her escape. She said that she was sold for Rs 38,000. [S]

Fresh orgy of violence by ULFA Seven massacred near Sivasagar JORHAT, Nov 17: In a fresh orgy of violence perpetrated by suspected ULFA militants, seven people, including one woman and two girls, were gunned down and three others critically injured when AK-47-wielding ultras swooped down on the Bihubor-based residence of a Marwari businessman under Simaluguri police outpost at around 8 pm yesterday and fired indiscriminately. [AT] ULFA gun down sven more, this time at Bihubor JORHAT, Nov 17: ULFA militants, in yet another dastardly attack, mowed down seven persons, four of them of one family, including a woman and two girls at Bihubor in Sivasagar district at around 7.45 p.m. yesterday. Three others sustained severe bullet injuries and they are undergoing treatment at the AMC Hospital, Dibrugarh. [S] 7 dead in fresh N-E carnage BIHUBOR (Sivsagar), Nov 17: In the continuing orgy of violence in Assam, seven persons -- all of them non-Assamese -- were killed and three others injured when gunmen swooped down on their settlement on the bank of Dikhow river last evening. The site of the massacre is barely 100 metres from the Bihubor police outpost. [TT]

Two more Manipur women resort to fast-unto-death

IMPHAL, Nov 18: Close on the heels of Irom Sharmila, who has been on a fast-unto-death since November 5 last in protest against the imposition of Armed Forces Special Powers Act in the State, two more woman members of the Meira Paibi Welfare Association Kangleipak (MEPWAK) embarked on a fast-unto-death from Friday evening. [AT]

Chakmas force militants to free hostages

AGARTALA, Nov 19: Two Chakma women were abducted yesterday by a group of heavily-armed National Liberation Front of Tripura militants from Tuichakma village under Gandacherra subdivision. The abduction was carried out to avenge the lynching of two comrades of the rebels. The women were, however, set free today following public pressure. [TT]

Police rescues 4 girls from brothel

GUWAHATI, Nov 21: A seven-member Kamrup police team, led by the Circle Inspector of Baihata Circle, Mr Biren Borgohain recently rescued four teenage girls of lower Assam districts namely Ms Pranita Deka (19), Ms Mina Begum (16), Ms Salma Begum (19) and Ms Anjali Rajbongshi (14) from the clutches of one Boby Sheikh alias Boby Khan alias Aminul Islam, an agent of an inter-State prostitution racket at Mumbai. All the victims, as well as the accused were brought from Mumbai to Baihata yesterday. [S]

Fasting women evicted

IMPHAL, Nov 21: The three Manipuri women who are on a fast-unto-death in protest against the Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act were today virtually evicted from the Sajiwa jail here. Irom Sharmila (28), H. Pakpi (41) and Y. Memcha (44) were allegedly forced to sign bail applications and set free. [TT]

Minor girl rescued from Bangladesh border

KARIMGANJ, Nov 24: Subudhoni Rai, a minor girl of 12 years who was kidnapped from Duliajan has been rescued by police from Prasarpur village adjacent to Bangladesh border on November 21. One Firoz Ali (32) of village Akbarpur lived at Diboimukh as a fisherman. He kidnapped Subudhoni from the road when she was going to school on November 15. Firoz Ali raped the minor girl repeatedly on all the seven days till the day of her rescue. [S]

ASTC workers' plight miserable
Fast-to-death completes 18 days

GUWAHATI, Nov 24: Fasting Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) employee, Monikanta Hazarika was attended by his wife and two minor children at the Corporation headquarter at Paltan Bazar today after he refused to be shifted to hospital following deterioration of his health condition. Hazarika along with three other colleagues who are on fast unto death demanding payment of salaries and arrear dues, were advised by the doctor to undergo medical treatment. But they refused to give up fast. [AT]

Liquor deaths

KOHIMA, Nov 25: Three people, including two women, died after consuming spurious liquor in Pezielietsie village on Tuesday, reports reaching here on Saturday said. [AT]

Couple arrested in murder case

MANGALDAI, Nov 27: Mangaldai police arrested Ms Pranita Neog Das, the Assistant children Development Project Officer of the Integrated Child Development Project, Kalaigaon and her husband, Mr Hit Ram Das, an account assistant of New Guwahati Treasury office, both residents of Bhebarghat in Mangaldai town on the charge of killing their maid servant Kalpana Deka (14) of village Bor Thekerabari under Mangaldai police station. It may be mentioned that the body of the maid servant had been found in their house with 100 per cent burn injury and the couple informed the police yesterday that she had committed suicide. But, after investigation, the police registered a murder case against them and produced them today before the judicial magistrate, who remanded them to jail custody. [S]

Youth Cong leader arrested

MANGALDAI, Nov 27: Mangaldai police arrested a Darrang District Youth Congress Committee leader, Md Omar Farooque today on the charge of making telephone calls to women and girls of Mangaldai town. After receiving complaints from women and girls the police had asked a telephone subscriber to install the call identity system, which led to the arrest of the Youth Congress leader. [S]

Women call Dhodar Ali blockade stir

JORHAT, Nov 28: The women of Sonari, in a meeting held today at Sonari, decided to block Dhodar Ali for an indefinite period in protest against the failure on the part of the Government to repair the road despite repeated assurances. It may be mentioned that the AASU had had to call off its blockade programme of the road from July 9 following an assurance from the Chief Engineer that the repair of the road would start soon and the funds for the repair had already been approved. Of late, it came to light that the funds for the repair of the road is yet to be approved. [S]

Driven to hunger and penury

GUWAHATI, Nov 29: Woes faced by the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) employees and their relatives due to the Corporation's failure to pay salaries since the last nine months are beyond human imagination. While the unpaid ASTC employees have been resorting to a fast-unto-death since November 7, their wives and children are running from pillar to post even to have one meal in a day. [S]

Some questions to a callous Chief Minister GUWAHATI, Nov 30: Another ASTC employee, Mr Bidyut Das of Bamunigaon near Boko, in Kamrup district passed away on August 15 this year after he ran out of money for his treatment. His widow, Ms Sarala Das and five of her children are now passing their days in penury and hunger. Forget about getting other dues, Ms Sarala Das is yet to receive three months' salary which was due to her husband at the time of his death, [S] Another ASTC employee dead JORHAT, Nov 30: A fourth grade employee of Jorhat division of the ASTC, Mr Hiralal Basfor, who had been suffering from a disease since a long time but could not go for treatment for the want of money, died at 38 today. Mr Basfor had not been getting his salary for the last ten months. It may be mentioned that as many as three ASTC employees died for the want of treatment during November, in Jorhat division of the Corporation. [S]

Girl gangraped, murdered

RANGIYA, Nov 30: The body of one Dipika Kalita of Pitambor Hatbajali village under Rangiya circle, reading in HS second year in Rangiya Girls' HS School, who had been missing since yesterday while returning from the school, was recovered near the village this morning. She was gangraped and murdered. The body has been sent to Guwahati Medical College Hospital for post-mortem. [S]

Five killed in clash

BONGAIGAON, Dec 3: Five people, including a woman and a one-year-old child, were killed following a clash between two families at Baikhungaon under the Dhaligaon police station at around 7.15 p.m. yesterday. Two girls received serious injuries in the incident. Police have picked up 17 persons for interrogation in connection with the clash. [S]

AIDS cases

GUWAHATI, Dec 5: There are 319 cases of HIV-positive and 95 others having full-blown AIDS in Assam, according to the project director of Assam State AIDS Control Society, B Dutta. While denying that there were more than 60,000 HIV-positive cases, Dutta said, 18 people, including three women, had died of AIDS in the State so far. Dutta said the reports appearing in a section of the press which quoted an office-bearer of an NGO that there were 60,000 HIV cases were 'misleading and not based on facts'. Of the 95 people having full-blown AIDS, 14 were women, he said. [AT]

Body of rape victim lying in morgue

NAGAON, Dec 7: One Sahara Begun (25), who had come to meet someone in the BPC Hospital, Nagaon on the night of November 29, was gangrapped by some youths in the hospital campus on that night. The Superintendent of the hospital, Dr M. Barkotoki, who found the woman in a serious condition in the corridor of the hospital in the next morning, admitted her to hospital. But she breathed her last in the hospital on the night of November 30. The body of Sahara Begum is still lying in the hospital morgue and getting decomposed. There is none to claim the body. [S]

Woman hacked to death

AGARTALA, Dec 10: Rebels of the All-Tripura Tiger Force rebels shot and hacked to death a Bengali woman even as police gunned down a suspected National Liberation Front of Tripura militant involved in the stealing of images of Lord Buddha from a monastery in South Tripura during the past 24 hours. Three hardcore NLFT rebels, who had fled the outfit's hideout in the Chittagong Hill Tracts in Bangladesh, surrendered before the CRPF authorities yesterday. [TT]

NLFT cadre, woman killed in Tripura

AGARTALA, Dec 10: Ranjan Chakma, a hardcore National Liberation Front of Tripura (NLFT) militant was killed and two of his colleagues -- Thainga Chakma and Udanga Chakma -- were arrested by the police after an encounter at Ramsingpara near Silachari under Subroom police station today, while a woman was shot dead by militants in another incident this morning. [S]

Six arrested in Dipika murder case

RANGIYA, Dec 10: The Rangiya police arrested six youths on suspicion in connection with the Dipika murder case. It may be mentioned here that Ms Dipika Kalita, a student of HS II year class and a resident of Pitambar Hatbajali village near Rangiya was gang-raped and murdered while she was returning home on the evening of November 29 from her school. Her dead body was found lying near the Baralia river embankment at Dahara village near here on November 30. [S]

Lover kills beloved, himself

ITAKHOLA, Dec 11: Great sensation prevails in the greater Itakhola area as Ms Manika Devi, a student of class IX of Dekorai HS School of Kamalabari, an area under Jamugurihat police station, was killed brutally by her lover, Rajen Bora (22) of Dhobakota on December 9 at around 6.30 p.m. According to a police source, Mr Rajen Bora entered the room of Monika Devi when she was alone and wanted to fulfil his sexual urges. When the girl resisted, the boy attacked her brutally with a dagger, which led to her death. After the incident, the boy committed suicide. [S]

UNICEF's wake-up call to State Govt on child care

GUWAHATI, Dec 13: The United Nations International children's Emergency Fund (UNICEF) today issued a "wake-up call" to the Assam Government that unsteady investment in early childhood care for children from birth to three years could seriously jeopardize any strategy for human development. The wake-up call came on the occasion of releasing of the "State of the World's Childrens Report (SOWCR): 2001" by the Chief Minister, Mr Prafulla Kumar Mahanta at Brahmaputra Ashok hotel here today. [S]

Silent procession by Hindi-speaking women

TINSUKIA, Dec 14: Over 200 Hindi-speaking women took out a silent procession yesterday, with placards in their hands in protest against the recent killings in the State. [S]

Two women among three killed

GUWAHATI, Dec 18 (UNI): Suspected NDFB militants shot dead three persons, including two women, and critically injured one of a minority community at Moinajan village in Kokrajhar district last night, official sources said. The injured has been shifted to hospital. [S]

4 die, 14 hurt as bomb rips apart bus in Nagaland

KOHIMA, Dec 18: Four passengers, including two girls, were killed and 14 others injured when a powerful bomb blasted a chartered bus taking students home for Christmas holidays, in Wokha district on Monday, a senior police officer said. [NED]

Two killed, 19 hurt in ultra attack

GOSSAIGAON, Dec 20: Unidentified gunmen opened indiscriminate firing at two Bhutan buses at 1.30 p.m. today at Bhodoyaguri under Gossaigaon subdivision killing the driver of one of the buses, Ugyen (22) and a girl Feldem (14) on the spot. Nineteen others sustained injuries, seven of them seriously. All the injured have been admitted to Gossaigaon civil hospital from where the seven critically injured have been shifted to Alipurduar civil hospital. [S]

Dacoits held

GUWAHATI, Dec 22: Police last night arrested four members of a gang of dacoits, including one woman, and recovered a huge quantity of stolen goods from their hideout in the Bharalumukh area. The gang-members have been identified as Jeharul Islam (35), Nazrul Ali (28), Abdul Hussain (28) and Safiya Begum (32). Police recovered 16 pieces of new wrist watches, a video cassette player, three walkmans, fans and ornaments from their possessions. [AT]

10-year-old girl abducted

AGARTALA, Dec 24: A ten-year-old girl, Pinky Mitra was abducted by National Liberation Tigers of Tripura (NLFT) militants from her residence at Joalikhamar under Udaipur police station in South Tripura on Saturday. According to reports, five militants entered the house and abducted the girl at gunpoint as there were no male members in the house at the time of the incident. The militants demanded a huge amount as ransom.
Meanwhile, the police arrested two NLFT militants -- Somaiya Reang and Chandan Debbarma alias Sukram -- from Ajendra Bazar and Takarjala areas. Two other youths were also picked up for their alleged links with the UBLF. [S]

Minor girl abducted in Tripura

AGARTALA, Dec 24: A group of National Liberation Front of Tripura militants abducted a non-tribal eight-year-old girl from a remote area under Udaipur police station in South Tripura district yesterday.
Sources said the NLFT rebels are yet to release the two boys abducted earlier this month from a passenger jeep in Sabroom subdivision. The militants had demanded a ransom of Rs 5 lakh from the family. The abduction triggered ethnic tension in the subdivision and nearby areas in South Tripura.
In a separate incident, a United Bengali Liberation Front militant -- identified as Paritosh Pal -- has been arrested from Amar Colony under Kalyanpur police station. A .38 pistol, large quantity of ammunition and incriminating documents were recovered from him.

Procession against rape by jawans DHAKUAKHANA, Dec 27: A great deal of sensation prevails here following a procession taken out by over 100 women and students yesterday in protest the alleged rape of a pregnant woman, Ms Minu Konwar (28) on December 24 by two jawans. The condition of the woman, who is undergoing treatment at Lakhimpur hospital, is very critical and the baby died soon after birth. Despite tremendous resistance by police personnel the women processionists managed to meet the SDO and submitted a memorandum addressed to the Governor. The women processionists said that they would intensify their agitational programme if stringent action was not taken against the two jawans. According to reports, the two jawans were punished and the Army camp was shifted from there. [S]

Missing girl remains untraced

NORTH LAKHIMPUR, Dec 28: Ms Krishna Sonowal alias Kalpana Sonowal (23) daughter of Mr Indreswar Sonowal of village Sorbodichuk, Gagaldubi under Boginodi police out-post in Lakhimpur district has been missing since last June, 2000 from her home. It is learnt that Krishna went to North Lakhimpur from her home that day for marketing. According to her family, she went to Dubia, Gohpur from North Lakhimpur that day and stayed at one Niru Bora's house for the night. She then stayed at Mr Sarbeswar Saikia's house at Kalabari for the next 20 days, after which she went to Simaluguri, her uncle's house. The next morning she had come back to North Lakhimpur, from where she went missing and has remained untraced. [S]

Various women organizations protesting against violence in Assam at Dighali Pukhuri par, Guwahati, on December 29. Asomiya Pratidin photo.

New year's day bandh called in Manipur

IMPHAL, Dec 30: A two-day Manipur bandh has been called by various women organisations in protest against the infamous Armed Forces (Special Powers) Act, 1958 in the state. The recently-formed "Women's Front against Black Laws" has called the 48-hour bandh on December 31, 2000 and January 1, 2001. The women organisations (Meira Peibi) were agitated over the state and Union government's apathy towards the fast-unto-death by three Manipuri women. The three -- Irom Sharmila, Hidangmayum Pakpi and Yumnam Memcha -- had launched the strike demanding the withdrawal of Act following the killing of 10 innocent civilians by the Assam Rifles on November 2. [TT]