Three persons were killed and one was injured when Border Security Force personnel opened fire at a crowd which vandalised a barricaded panchayat counting centre at Hatsingimari in Assam’s Dhubri district, bordering the trouble-torn Goalpara district, on Friday.
An indefinite curfew was clamped in the Hatsingimari police station area following the incident, in which several police and BSF personnel were injured in stone throwing.
Additional SP P. Dutta told The Hindu that the BSF and police bid to prevent the mob from forcing its way triggered an angry outburst. The crowd swelled in number, resorted to stone throwing, and barged into the counting centre at the Sub-divisional Office. As the situation took an ugly turn, the BSF personnel opened fire.
The police said some people had resented delay in the counting process and a group clash between supporters of the ruling Congress and the All India United Democratic Front added to the tension.
