Manipur situation will improve in 7-10 days, says Assam CM Himanta Biswa Sarma
Dibrugarh (Assam), Jul 1: Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma on Saturday said the situation in neighbouring Manipur will improve within 7-10 days, with the state and central governments working silently to restore peace.
He hit out at the Congress and alleged that the opposition party is showing its concern when "relative peace has come in the northeastern state."
More than 100 people have lost their lives in the ethnic violence between Meitei and Kuki communities in Manipur since clashes first started on May 3.
Talking to reporters on the sidelines of a programme here, the BJP-led North East Democratic Alliance (NEDA) convenor said, "The situation in Manipur is improving day by day. I am of the view that in the next one week to 10 days, there will be more improvement."
Sarma claimed there has been a lot of improvement in the neighbouring state in the last month.
"Silently, the Manipur government and the Union home ministry are working. You can see what was the level of violence a month ago and what it is today," he said, adding, "I can tell you with guarantee that there has been a vast improvement in the situation."
Taking a swipe at the Congress, the BJP's trouble-shooter in the Northeast said, "Now, the Congress is crying about Manipur when relative peace has come. They should have cried when the situation was volatile."
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'Contract killing' plot busted in Thane; victim's brother among four held
Thane (PTI): The Thane police have uncovered a "contract killing" plot and arrested four persons, including the victim's younger brother, who allegedly hired the assailants and lodged the complaint to mislead investigators and hide his role in the murder, officials said on Sunday.
The victim, identified as Paresh Tolaram Patil (40), was hacked to death on May 12 over a property dispute, and his brother allegedly paid Rs 10 lakh to the contract killers, an official said.
The same day, Naresh Tolaram Patil (37), an auto-rickshaw driver residing in the Bhiwandi area of Maharashtra's Thane district, lodged a police complaint alleging that his elder brother Paresh had been murdered by unidentified persons.
According to Naresh, his brother was riding his motorcycle to work at Vasai in neighbouring Palghar district when the unidentified assailants intercepted him and assaulted him with sharp weapons, in-charge Superintendent of Police Anmol Mittal said.
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Following the complaint, the Ganeshpuri police registered a case of murder on May 13.
The investigation teams examined several CCTV recordings along the suspected escape routes and used advanced technical surveillance.
The police then traced the registration plate of a vehicle allegedly used by the assailants, leading to the arrest of three alleged contract killers -- Rakesh Bhagwan Patil (37), Premjit Madhukar Gharat (38), and Daksh Bhanukant Bhoir (24) -- from Palghar, the official said.
"During intense interrogation, the three persons confessed to their involvement in the killing. They revealed that the plot was masterminded by the victim's brother, Naresh Patil, who had lodged the initial police complaint to misguide the law enforcement agencies," he said.
According to the official, Naresh Patil confessed to hatching the conspiracy due to an ongoing property dispute with his elder brother and that he had offered Rs 10 lakh to the three accused to eliminate Paresh.
Naresh Patil has also been arrested, and a further probe is underway into the case, they added.
