12 security officials injured in Assam mob attack, 9 held

SILCHAR: Nine people were arrested on Saturday for their alleged involvement in last night's mob attack on security personnel and villagers of Nitainagar in Assam 's Hailakandi district, leaving 12 cops and CRPF jawans injured along with some civilians. The incident happened when the men in uniform tried to save a police constable and his companions who went to the Laskarbazar weekly cattle market in the village.

SP (Hailakandi) Pabindra Kumar Nath said rumours of child-lifters roaming in Nitainagar led to confusion among villagers, who, on seeing constable Jamil Hussain of Sonai police station and his eight other companions, attacked them. All the accused have been sent to judicial custody, he added. The SP said the mob also set ablaze the vehicle in which the nine people had come to the village, the SP said.

Hailakandi Sadar police station officer in-charge (OC) Hemanta Kumar Das and second officer Ashoke Chakraborty of the police station and OC Borat Chandra Kar of Algapur police station were among the police officials who were injured.

Meanwhile, district deputy commissioner Keerthi Jalli has appealed people to remain calm saying, "We assure you that the administration and police will remain alert. It is reiterated that there is no report on missing persons or kidnapping cases filed in police stations of the district. Fear psychosis is being built on unfounded rumours."