Tension in Assam's Kokrajhar over beef claim; 7 held for vandalism
The incident occurred at No. 3 Nayasara village under the Salakati police outpost. According to the police, trouble started after locals alleged that suspected cow meat had been deliberately thrown into the courtyard.
Guwahati: Tension prevailed in western Assam’s Kokrajhar on Wednesday when some miscreants vandalised the houses belonging to the minority community after beef was allegedly discovered in the courtyard of a Hindu household. Local police arrested seven persons soon after the incident came to light.
The incident occurred at No. 3 Nayasara village under the Salakati police outpost. According to the police, trouble started after locals alleged that suspected cow meat had been deliberately thrown into the courtyard. Thereafter, an agitated mob reportedly attacked houses belonging to the minority community, further fuelling tension between the two communities.
Police said that a mob started gathering soon after several houses were vandalised belonging to the minority community. The locals, on their part, alleged that the attack took place in the presence of police, which failed to stop the vandalism.
As tension escalated, local residents from both communities demanded strict action against those responsible for the incident and called for immediate arrests. Swift deployment of a large contingent of security forces in the area, according to police officials, helped in preventing the conflict from spreading further. The situation was brought under control after authorities pacified the crowd and took preventive measures.
While the local police has launched an investigation into the matter and detained seven individuals for questioning, the officials stated that although the situation remains tense, it is currently under control. Also, additional security measures have been deployed to maintain peace and prevent any further escalation.