Tanti cleared of rebel slur

Bishnu Tanti Dibrugarh, March 19 : The army has ended up with egg on its face as a magisterial inquiry, which probed the death of a physically challenged youth, has torn to shreds its claim that he was an Ulfa militant. Bishnu Tanti was gunned down by a group of army personnel at Tingalibam tea estate in Sivasagar district on January 29. The incident came close on the heels of an ambush by Ulfa militants in which two policemen were killed some distance away from the spot where Tanti was gunned down later. The inquiry was conducted by Sivasagar district administration and the report submitted on March 15. It revealed that Tanti was neither an Ulfa cadre, nor did he have any link with the banned militant outfit. The army had claimed that Tanti was an Ulfa militant and had tried to flee when accosted by the security personnel. The report termed the killing of Tanti as “unfortunate” and expressed condolences to his family. It recommended to the state government that a compensation of Rs 3 lakh be given to the financially weak family, which resides at Tingalibam tea estate under Sonari police station. Sivasagar deputy commissioner N.M. Hussain today confirmed that he had received the report from additional deputy commissioner Mrigen Gogoi, who had conducted the inquiry, on March 15. He said the report clearly mentioned that Tanti’s killing was the army personnel’s fault. “We have sent the recommendations to the state government and are now waiting for a response from Dispur,” he added. Hussain had ordered the magisterial inquiry on February 2 and asked Gogoi to file the report within 15 days. But there was a delay as witnesses were initially frightened to turn up. The additional depu-ty commissioner recorded the versions of several witnesses — including Bishnu’s father Rajguru Tanti and other family members, Tingalibam police outpost in-charge H. Saikia and Tingalibam tea estate general manager S.N. Sarma — before he compiled his report. Tanti’s killing sparked a row in the district and leading organisations like the Assam Tea Tribes Students Association and the All Adivasi Students Association of Assam started an agitation to seek justice for the handicapped youth. The army has also ordered a court of inquiry, headed by Col. Naresh Rajora, the deputy commander of the Laipuli-based 181 Mountain Brigade of the 2 Mountain Division. The defence spokesman at Tezpur, Rajesh Kalia, said the court of inquiry was in its final stages and the findings were expected “very soon.” He refused to comment on the outcome of the magisterial inquiry.