Guwahati, Dec 18: A Congress worker was killed and several others were injured in tear gas shell smoke during a protest on Wednesday against a range of issues, including unrest in Manipur and bribery charges against Adani Group, the party claimed.
A senior police officer, however, said the exact reason for the death will be known after the post-mortem examination report comes, and denied that anyone was injured in the incident.
Police and Congress supporters were engaged in a scuffle, in which Assam Congress chief Bhupen Kumar Borah and former Rajya Sabha MP Ripun Bora fell on the ground, and were detained. They were released later.
Congress Legal Cell member Advocate Mridul Islam (45) felt suffocated when a tear gas cell fell near him, party spokesperson Bedabrat Bora claimed.
"He was immediately rushed to a nearby private hospital and then to the Gauhati Medical College and Hospital (GMCH). He was declared dead there," he added.
After visiting the GMCH, Guwahati Police Commissioner Diganta Barah said, "The tear gas shells were not fired. Police only rolled three shells on the road so that smoke would come out and people would disperse."
Several media persons, including senior journalist Amarendra Deka and his camera person, were injured and were being treated at the GMCH, the Congress spokesperson said.
"Around 10 people were injured and they are receiving treatment at GMCH. In my political career, I have never seen such a huge and ruthless police presence to stop a democratic protest, which was going to submit a memorandum only," he added.
According to visuals on local media channels, the Congress chief and a few of the protesters were apparently pushed over the barricades by the police while they were trying to cross over.
The police commissioner said the Congress did not even seek permission for the 'Raj Bhavan gherao' protest, in which over 1,000 people took part.
"We had deployed an adequate number of police personnel and erected three barricades. The protestors broke two barricades and went to the third one. There was no lathi-charge or force used. Only we rolled the tear gas shells," Barah said.
He claimed that the magisterial inquest conducted on the deceased found no external injury and "the exact reason will be known only after the post-mortem examination report comes".
The Congress on Tuesday had formally intimated the Guwahati Police Commissioner about the protest programme and it was duly received by his office. A copy of the signed receipt is available with PTI.
The opposition party took out the protest march as part of a nation-wide programme. They marched against ethnic clashes in Manipur, bribery charges against the business conglomerate Adani Group and installation of 'smart meters' for electricity connections in Assam.
The Congress, meanwhile, filed a complaint at Latasil police station against the death of Islam due to "excessive use of tear gas" and demanded a thorough investigation into the incident.
Terming it as a "homicidal death amounting to murder", the party sought compensation for the family of the deceased.
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Washington, Dec 18: Chennai-born Indian American teenager Caitlin Sandra Neil has been crowned Miss India USA 2024 at the annual pageant held in New Jersey.
Caitlin, 19, is a second-year student at University of California, Davis.
"I want to leave a positive lasting impact on my community and focus on women's empowerment and literacy," Caitlin was quoted as saying in a media release.
Born in Chennai, India, Caitlin has been living in the USA for the last 14 years. She wants to be a web designer and also pursue a modelling and acting career.
Sanskriti Sharma from Illinois was crowned Mrs. India USA and Arshita Kathpalia from Washington won the Miss Teen India USA in the pageant organised by the India Festival Committee (IFC).
Rijul Maini, Miss India USA 2023 and Sneha Nambiar, Mrs India USA 2023 crowned Caitlin Sandra Neil and Sanskriti Sharma, respectively.
Nirali Desia of Illinois and Manini Patel of New Jersey were declared first runner-up and second runner-up in the Miss India USA competition.
Sapna Mishra of Virginia and Chinmayee Ayachit from Connecticut were named first and second runner-up in the Mrs India USA competition. Dhriti Patel of Rhode Island and Sonali Sharma were declared as first runner-up and second runner-up in the teen category, the press release said.
Forty-seven contestants from 25 states participated in the three categories of the pageant.