GUWAHATI: An incident in Guwahati's Arya Nagar that was widely reported as an Assamese-Bihari conflict was actually linked to an extortion case, Deputy Commissioner of Police (West) Balin Deuri said on Monday, June 8.
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Addressing the media, Deuri said that two individuals involved in the incident have a history of criminal activity.
"Two people involved in this matter already have extortion cases registered against them at Basistha and Bharalumukh police stations. They have also been sent to jail in the past," he said.
According to the police, the accused fabricated a narrative of an Assamese-Bihari clash in an attempt to evade police action.
"Left with no options, they tried to play with the emotions of the people," the senior police official stated.
The DCP urged the public not to be misled by such claims and appealed to citizens to view the incident solely as an anti-drug operation.
Responding to allegations that anti-Assamese slurs were used by members of the mob, Deuri categorically denied the claims.
"We have not found any comments of that sort during our investigation," he said, adding that the accused appeared to have deliberately attempted to exploit Assamese sentiments to divert attention from the actual nature of the case.
Police have not made any arrests so far and are currently examining available video footage and other evidence as part of the ongoing investigation, Deuri added.