From rxpgnews.com

India
Curfew clamped in Assam's Tinsukia district
May 13, 2007 - 6:34:23 PM

Guwahati, May 13 - Curfew was clamped in Assam's eastern Tinsukia district Sunday after violent clashes broke out between two groups of protesters over blocking of a national highway.

'Curfew was imposed to quell clashes between two civilian groups in which about a dozen people were injured,' Tinsukia district magistrate Absar Hazarika told IANS by telephone.

A police spokesman said a mob of about 200 tea plantation workers armed with bows and arrows clashed with protesters who had blockaded a highway for the past one week near Doomdooma, about 515 km east of here.

The blockade was to protest the killing of 24-year-old Buddheswar Moran last weekend allegedly in a staged shootout by army soldiers.

'The highway blockade agitation had led to shortage of essentials and medicines in and around Tinsukia district and that probably led angry tea garden workers to come out and challenge the protesters,' a senior police official said.

Anti-riot police were deployed to bring the situation under control.

'We are keeping a close watch on the situation which is now tense but fairly under control,' the district magistrate said.

Army authorities earlier this week admitted it was an 'unfortunate incident' and ordered a probe into the killing of Moran. The Assam government too ordered an independent investigation into the incident.



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