A Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) team headed by a Special Director and Joint Secretary (North East) at the Ministry of Home Affairs, Sambhu Singh, is scheduled to arrive in the State on Thursday to hold discussions with the Assam Police officials regarding the cases related to the ongoing violence in Kokrajhar, Dhubri, Chirang and Bongaigaon disricts which the apex investigating agency is likely to take over.
Assam Home Secretary G.D. Tripathi told The Hindu that the State government had referred all the 309 cases registered in connection with the violence to the CBI.
“However, the CBI may not be able to take over all the cases and therefore would discuss with senior Assam Police officials the sensitivities of the cases and identify cases having multi-state, multi-nation dimensions which they may take over for a thorough investigation,” he said.
Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi on Tuesday said his government had sought a CBI probe as both internal and external forces were behind the current violence.
The death toll in the violence has gone up to 75 with the recovery of two more bodies in Kokrajhar district. The violence displaced and forced 4.80 lakh people belonging to both the Bodo and Muslim communities to take shelter in 340 relief camps. Of them, about 1.16 lakh people have returned home.
Meanwhile, activists of the All Bodo Students’ Union (ABSU) sat on an eight-hour fast in the city on Wednesday demanding that the State government provide adequate supplies including baby food, medicines and text books to inmates of the relief camps.
It also urged the State government to undertake rehabilitation measures.
