NDFB suspects girl as informer, shoots her in front of parents

Guwahati: A teenage girl was shot dead by the NDFB in the presence of her parents in Assam's Chirang district as militants suspected her of being a police informer and a probe has been announced after chilling video of the killing was aired by local television channels.

The video, sent by the NDFB militants and was being aired by television channels since Friday night, showed a 16-year-old girl lying slumped on the ground in a pool of blood in the presence of her parents and residents of Dwimugri village under Runikhata police station in the district.

Government spokesman and Industries minister Pradyut said a probe would be ordered into the killing by militants of the National Democratic Front of Bodoland (Songbijit).

He said that the veracity of reports that the girl's body was lying in a field in the village for the past two days as her parents were afraid to retrieve it, would be verified.

The government would also take action against any policeman found guilty of dereliction of duty, he said.

The girl was suspected to have been killed a day after five NDFB(S) militants were killed in an encounter with security forces on August 20.

An NDFB(S) militant claimed in the video that the girl was killed for being 'an informer' and it was a warning to others.

He also claimed and that the militants of his group were killed not by the army, but by the rival NDFB.

Villagers alleged that the police reached the spot only after the video was telecast.

A police spokesman said that the body of the girl was retrieved and sent for post mortem examination. Quoting the villagers, the spokesman said a group of heavily armed militants dragged the girl out from her house alleging she was a police informer and and shot her dead from close range in the presence of her parents and them.

The incident triggered widespread condemnation. All Assam Students' Union Advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya described it as "a barbaric incident which does not happen in civilised society... This particular killing indicates the level of lawlessness prevailing in the state".

The All Bodo Students' Union said it demonstrates the deteriorating law and order in four districts under the Bodoland Territorial Area Districts (BTAD).

Advisor of the All Bodo Women's Welfare Federation Romila Islari said the people in the four districts live in constant fear.