GUWAHATI/NEW DELHI, Dec 12:
Two people were shot dead in police firing as Assam, the hotbed of anti-CAB protests, plunged into chaos today with thousands of agitators descending on streets defying curfew, thumbing their nose at Army contingents staging flag marches.
Several towns and cities were placed under indefinite curfew, including Guwahati, the epicentre of protests, besides Dibrugarh, Tezpur and Dhekiajuli. Night curfew was imposed in Jorhat, Golaghat, Tinsukia and Charaideo districts, officials said.
Two people were shot dead by security forces in Guwahati, which has turned into a garrison town with Army, paramilitary and state police personnel present in every nook and corner.
An official of the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital said that one person was brought dead and another succumbed to injuries during treatment. However, protesters claimed three people had died in police firing.
Hospital sources said 11 people were brought there with gunshot injuries.
Incidents of police firing were reported from several places in Guwahati including Hatigaon, Lachitnagar, Bashishta, Downtown, Ganeshg-uri and Lalungaon.
Frenzied mobs blocked roads with burning discarded tyres and menaced commuters by bludgeoning their vehicles with sticks and stones.
Internet services in 10 districts were suspended for another 48 hours beginning 12 pm to prevent “misuse” of social media to disturb peace and tranquillity, and to maintain law and order, officials said.
Internet services will remain suspended in Lakhimpur, Dhemaji, Tinsukia, Dibrugarh, Charaideo, Sivasagar, Jorhat, Golaghat, Kamrup (Metro) and Kamrup, Additional Chief Secretary (Home and Political department) Sanjay Krishna said.
Mobile internet and messaging services were also suspended in neighbouring Meghalaya for 48 hours since 5 pm today after incidents of vandalisation of vehicles.
Areas under two police stations in state capital Shillong were placed under curfew.
Though no major incident of violence was reported from Tripura, state capital Agartala observed a shutdown, with educational institutions and offices closed.
The Railways has suspended all passenger train services in Tripura and Assam and short-terminated long distance trains to the region at Guwahati following protests in the two states over the passage of CAB, a railway spokesperson said in New Delhi today.
The decision was taken on Wednesday night in view of the security situation in the region, Northeast Frontier Railway spokesperson Subhanan Chanda said, adding many passengers are stranded in Kamakhya and Guwahati.(PTI)
Follow our WhatsApp channel
