Violence Erupts At Assam’s Poll Counting Centre

At least three people were killed and 6 others including a security personnel was injured as violence erupted at a poll counting centre in Assam’s Dhubri district on Friday during the panchayat poll counting, officials said.

According to reports, the incident took place at Hatsingimari in the district where at least three people were killed in police firing.

“The violence sparked at the poll counting centre when a security personnel physically assaulted a supporter of a political party, people demanded that the police arrest the security personnel,” said a district administration official.

In the incident at least four BSF jawans were injured, police beat the angry people to control the situation, but a mob set ablaze the counting centre and started throwing stones at the police.

“At that moment, police started to fire and two people were killed on the spot and another died in the hospital,” the district administration official said.

The injured persons were admitted to the nearest hospital.

Top police officials rushed to the area.

The counting of panchayat polls began in 385 centres in 41 election sub-division under tight security vigil.

In a separate incident, a former Assam minister was injured when a youth attacked him at a poll counting centre at Gohpur in Sonitpur district on Friday morning.

The injured former minister Ripun Bora was admitted to Gohpur civil hospital.

Hemanta Kumar Nath

Hemanta Kumar Nath is a correspondent in Assam, India, who reports on local news in Assam, the north east Indian state.