Army Steps Up Security Measures in Kokrajhar After Recent Violence

 Army conducts flag march in violence-hit Kokrajhar, peace meeting held

PTI, Guwahati / Kokrajhar, Jan 21, 2026: The Army conducted a flag march and a peace meeting was held in the presence of two Assam ministers on Wednesday to ensure that the situation returned to normal in violence-hit Kokrajhar district, where two persons were killed in mob violence, leading to arson and clashes between Bodos and Adivasis, officials said.

The Army, deployed in sensitive areas of the district, conducted a flag march as a confidence-building measure, a defence spokesperson told PTI. Army personnel conducted patrolling in the affected areas of Karigaon and its nearby locations on Tuesday night. A total of four Army columns have been deployed in the district, the spokesperson said.

Besides the Army, security personnel from the Rapid Action Force (RAF), CRPF and Assam Police are also patrolling the affected areas, IGP (Law and Order) Akhilesh Singh told reporters. The overall situation is under control with no fresh incident reported since Tuesday evening, and tight security measures have been put in place in Kokrajhar and neighbouring Chirang district, he said.

The situation is fast returning to normal with security forces patrolling sensitive areas and urging people taking shelter in relief camps to return to their homes. He said that five relief camps have been set up in different schools and over 1,200 people from the nearby villages have taken shelter there, but “we are trying to convince them to have faith in the security system and return to their homes”.

Asked if there was any militant link to the incident, Singh said, “The matter will be investigated but as of now there is no such evidence.” An accident had led to mistrust between the two communities, but normality was now returning to the district, he said.

On Monday night, a vehicle with three Bodos onboard hit two Adivasi persons on Mansingh Road in the Karigaon area, a home department official said. The three Bodo persons were reportedly beaten up by neighbouring Adivasi villagers, and the vehicle was torched. One person died, while another succumbed to injuries on Tuesday, he said.

On Tuesday, the situation flared up with Bodo and Adivasi communities blocking a national highway, burning tyres, setting ablaze a government office and attacking the Karigaon police outpost, the official said. The police baton-charged the protesters and fired tear gas shells to disperse the crowd, in which several people, including a few police personnel, were injured, he said.

The Kokrajhar district administration has set up two relief camps at Karigaon High School and Gwajanpuri Amanpara High School, after several villagers from Karigaon fled their homes fearing attacks.

Prohibitory orders have been imposed across Kokrajhar district under Section 163 of the Bhartiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita, 2023, the official said. The home department has also suspended internet and mobile data services in Kokrajhar and Chirang districts as a precautionary measure.

He said that certain sections had been circulating misleading videos on social media, which they should refrain from doing, and action has already been initiated against those indulging in such activities, Singh added.

IGP (BTC) Vivekraj Singh said that 19 people had been arrested so far for their alleged involvement in the incident, while three more have been detained for interrogation.

A peace meeting was organised by the district administration, which was attended by the two ministers, Bodoland Territorial Council (BTC) chief Hagrama Mohilary and prominent members of civil society belonging to all communities. Baruah said that the district administration was conducting surveys in the affected villages to assess the damage, and the compensation will be decided upon after it is completed.

Mohilary said that all stakeholders had agreed in the meeting that all communities must live in peace and harmony.