Express News Service
GUWAHATI: Weeks after the violence on the Assam-Mizoram interstate border, the Mizoram Police have now filed a case of theft against unnamed Assam Police personnel.Mizoram’s Kolasib District Magistrate H Lalthlangliana alleged that a group of Assam Police personnel had entered Mizoram’s territory and took away construction materials.“They came to our side at around 12:30 pm yesterday (Saturday) and took away about five quintals of rod (TMT bars) in a pickup vehicle from a place where a bridge is being constructed to connect the paddy fields of our first Chief Minister, C Chhunga with the main road,” Lalthlangliana said.“So, a case was lodged against the policemen. I got news that about 100 Assam policemen came to the spot this morning. So, our cops had to be rushed to the spot,” he said.Kolasib shares its border with Assam’s Hailakandi district in the area of fresh tension.Lalthlangliana said during telephonic conversations with his Hailakandi counterpart Rohan Jha on Sunday, he had insisted on the withdrawal of the Assam policemen and return of the materials.“The Hailakandi DM requested me to withdraw our force. I told him that we shall do so only if they withdraw their force and return the materials,” Lalthlangliana said.Kolasib Superintendent of Police Vanlalfaka Ralte said Mizoram had to deploy the personnel as the construction materials were taken away by the Assam cops from Mizoram’s Bairabi area.“The Assam Police are about to hand over the TMT bars. That’s a goodwill gesture. If they return the materials, the case of theft will be withdrawn,” Ralte said.Hailakandi SP Gaurav Upadhyay described the charge of theft as concocted, baseless, malafide and devoid of any facts and an attempt by the Mizoram administration to divert the attention from the main issue – illegal construction by Mizoram on Assam soil.Upadhyay said when some Mizoram workers were found trying to build a bridge in Kachurtal on the Assam side on Friday, Assam Police personnel rushed to the area and stopped the construction work.“Next day, around 40-50 Mizo security forces reached the bridge and few Mizo security forces came towards Assam side of the bridge in complete violation of the joint statement issued by both states on August 5 to maintain peace in border areas. Moreover, when they were asked by local policemen to leave Assam land, they, in a brazen act of belligerence, refused to do so,” Upadhyay said.He said to assert Assam’s position and ask the Mizoram forces to retreat, 200 Assam cops and commandos, led by him, had gone to the site.“Being a responsible force, the Assam Police did not confront and are giving the respective civil administration a chance to amicably resolve the matter by stopping the construction and removing the Mizoram forces,” the SP added.
