News

SHILLONG, April 11 — Meghalaya Government today decided to go ahead to form a joint command of the police forces of the State and neighbouring Assam to better facilitate coordination in tackling militancy in the two States.

The decision was taken at a meeting here today, Meghalaya Chief Minister D D Lapang told newsmen. The joint command is expected to help both the States in curbing growing militant activities. The banned ULFA and NDFB ultras are known to have set up hide-outs in Meghalaya specially the Garo Hills area to escape the dragnet of the Unified Command.

Both the ULFA and NDFB...

Guwahati, April 10: The only female elephant trainer in Asia, Parvati Barua, today dismissed charges of cruelty on an elephant which she had captured in Chattisgarh and later died in captivity. Animal rights activists had kicked up a storm after the incident.

In her first defence in her home state since the death of the elephant on February 24, Barua rebutted the charges brought against her point by point. She claimed that “not a single ‘expert’ who really knows about capturing and training elephants has blamed me”.

“I feel sad that the elephant captured in Chattisgarh did not survive. But...

Silchar, April 10: Two persons were killed and over 100 houses set ablaze in fresh clashes between the Hmar and Dimasa communities in North Cachar Hills district of Assam, where a 48-hour curfew has been in force since yesterday.

Suspected Dimasa militants set fire to 10 houses at Heronbasti near Umrangshu. Armed Dimasas set ablaze another 25 huts in neighbouring Rekzol and 72 houses in the remote Saranbasti village. The toll in the clashes since March 31 has risen from 24 to 32.

Police sources in Haflong said there was heavy exchange of fire between armed groups at Saranbasti. However, there...

Guwahati, April 10: The Assam government is facing a new problem on the Bodo front with activists of the Bodo Liberation Tigers (BLT) mounting pressure on their leaders to postpone their proposed “farewell to arms”.

The BLT members want to retain their weapons till the Bodos of Karbi Anglong and North Cachar Hills districts are granted Scheduled Tribe (Hills) status and accorded reservation benefits in areas under the three other autonomous councils of the Rabhas, Tiwas and Mishings.

Sources close to the BLT top brass told The Telegraph today that members of the outfit were feeling “betrayed”...

NEW DELHI, April 10—The Indian Oil Corporation Limited (IOCL) has recovered the loss, estimated at Rs 14.47 crore, from the insurance company caused by outlawed ULFA when it blew up one of its fuel tanks in Digboi refinery last month, Union Petroleum and Natural Gas Minister, Ram Naik told the Lok Sabha this morning. Replying to a Question Hour discussion, the Minister asserting that security cover of all oil installations in the country has been beefed up, said that suspected ULFA militants fired at a tank containing 4500 kilolitres of petrol at Digboi Refinery of IOCL. As a result, fire...