Guwahati: The governments of Assam and Meghalaya have jointly agreed to conclude the judicial commissions investigating the Mukroh killings and transfer the case to the Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI) to ensure impartiality in the investigation.
The tragic incident occurred in November 2022 when Assam Forest Protection Force personnel opened fire on individuals suspected of timber smuggling from Meghalaya in Mukroh, a village situated along the disputed inter-state boundary claimed by both Assam and Meghalaya. The incident resulted in the loss of six lives, including that of a forest guard.
This development comes approximately nine months after the two neighboring states signed a historic agreement aimed at resolving a 50-year-old border dispute, focusing on six out of the 12 contentious areas along their 885-km border.
Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma, following a meeting with his Meghalaya counterpart Conrad K. Sangma in Guwahati on Saturday, addressed the media. He stated, “The two states each constituted a judicial commission to investigate the incident, but progress was hindered as witnesses from Assam were reluctant to appear for hearings in Meghalaya, and those from Meghalaya declined to participate in proceedings in Assam. As a confidence-building measure, we have opted to entrust the case to an impartial central agency like the CBI.”
Additionally, both governments have resolved to request the CBI to conduct the case in a neutral location rather than registering it in Guwahati or Shillong, Dr. Sarma emphasized.
Regarding another flashpoint, Khanduli, the two governments have agreed to deploy personnel from the Central Reserve Police Force to manage the confrontation point. Furthermore, the police outposts of both states, currently positioned in close proximity, will be relocated 200 meters within their respective territories.
Dr. Sarma expressed Assam’s willingness to settle disputes in three of the six remaining areas of contention. However, the final decision will be made by the respective regional committees of the involved states.
“We have instructed our regional committees to present their proposals to the Meghalaya Chief Minister with the aim of expeditiously resolving the disputes,” he added.
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He also announced the completion of mapping work by the Survey of India in the six areas where the dispute had previously been settled over a year ago. Dr. Sarma noted that the erection of border pillars would follow, with both state governments having accepted the agreed-upon positions. This move signifies significant progress in the resolution of long-standing border disputes and the ongoing commitment of Assam and Meghalaya to foster cooperation and peace in the region.
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