Digboi Grenade Blast Is a Sign of Desperation & Cowardice: CM Himanta Biswa Sarma

A CORRESPONDENT

DIGBOI: At least two persons were killed and as many injured in a grenade blast at Digboi's Tingrai Bazar in Tinsukia district on Friday afternoon.

Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma expressed concern and condemned the incident. He asked the DGP to nab the miscreants and deal with the situation sternly. "This act of violence is a sign of desperation and cowardice. The State government will tolerate such kind of highhandedness leading to the loss of precious human lives," he said.

The grenade that was suspected to have been lobbed by two unidentified motorcycle-borne miscreants went off at the verandah of a hardware shop at Tingrai Market, around 200 metres from the Digboi BJP MLA's residence.

While Sanjit Singh (24) who was the last customer and hailing from a nearby Hukanpukhuri village was killed on the spot, Surajit Talukdar, a salesman of the hardware, succumbed to his injury later at the AMCH, Dibrugarh. The deceased Talukdar was a resident of the Tingrai Market area.

On the other hand, Manjit Das (19) of the Tingrai Bazaar area and Ghanshyam Agarwal of the nearby Bogapani area sustained multiple injuries and were being treated at Dibrugarh AMCH.

"When I was entertaining my last customer in the shop before pulling down the shutters at around 1 pm, the powerful blast occurred at the verandah of my hardware shop killing the customer on the spot and leaving 3 persons injured," said Puran Agarwal, the owner of the hardware shop. "I had a narrow escape by one minute delay," expressed the terrified businessman.

This is the second grenade blast in Tinsukia district within four days. Earlier a day after the government was formed in the state of Assam; a minor boy was killed when an abandoned grenade went off mysteriously along the Buridehing River in Jagun's Kothe Adarsha village.

Top cops of the district, Tinsukia Deputy Commissioner Diganta Saikia and other wings of the security agencies immediately rushed to the place and started connecting all possible dots to reach a logical conclusion.

Meanwhile, MP Rameswar Teli and State Cabinet Minister Sanjay Kishan also reached the site and interacted with the officials and civilians.

"Whosoever is behind the act, we strongly condemn the heinous crime and urge the investigating team to immediately adopt stern measures against the perpetrators," said Teli, adding "This may be a design of the vested few to create turmoil in Tinsukia district to defile the present government. The government is ensuring the best medical aid for the injured."

However, reacting to the ULFA press release of not committing the barbaric act, Teli said that the Dhemaji incident bears testimony to what extent the ULFA admits genuinely.

MLA Suren Phukan also vehemently criticized the act terming it 'cowardice and inhuman'. Phukan also said that Chief Minister Hemanta Biswa Sarmah may visit the site the next day adding 'CM Sarma-led BJP government is already firmed against terrorism and has asked the DGP of the Assam Police to crack the menace with an iron feast'.

Also Read: For Past 4 Years I Did Not Eat Fish or Meat: Assam CM Himanta Biswa Chats Young Boys Over Lunch in Majuli

Also Watch: Eid namaz cancelled in Naharkatia