In what is suspected to be an attempt to discourage refugees from returning to the Bodoland Territorial Council, suspected armed rebels on Wednesday shot dead two labourers and injured the owner of a brick kiln in Western Assam’s Dhubri district.
However, DIG (Western Range) Surender Kumar told this newspaper that two persons are missing after an incident of firing by miscreants. Mr Kumar said seven minority workers who had gone fishing in Dabargaon pond, on the border of Dhubri district, were shot at and that one person was injured and four others escaped. “We are carrying out a search of the pond where the firing took place,” said Mr Kumar.
But security sources said the police managed to fish out the bullet-riddled bodies of two men — Rezak Ali and Javed Ali. The attackers came from BTC area.
Kiln owner Ismail Ali, who was present near the pond, sustained a bullet injury. The victims were not refugees but came from Dhubri district’s Bangaldowa village.
Security sources said there were reports of armed miscreants patrolling the BTC border area. The shooting was aimed at discouraging refugees from returning to BTC areas, security sources said.