One of the deceased, Dipanjan Das, succumbed to bullet injuries at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.
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Three people were shot dead in police firing as Assam, the hotbed of anti-Citizenship Bill protests, plunged into chaos on Thursday with thousands of agitators descending on streets defying curfew.
One of the deceased, Dipanjan Das, succumbed to bullet injuries at Gauhati Medical College and Hospital. Das, in his 20s, was injured when police opened fire on the protesters to disperse them.
Police on Thursday said they had to open fire in Lalung Gaon area in Guwahati after stones were hurled by protestors. They also resorted to aerial firing in several other areas of the city, including the Guwahati-Shillong Road which turned into a war zone as protestors allegedly vandalised shops and buildings, burnt tyres and clashed with security forces.
Protesters also set ablaze the house of MLA Binod Hazarika in Chabua and went on a rampage torching vehicles.
Both Dibrugarh and Guwahati have been placed under indefinite curfew since Wednesday when the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill was passed by Rajya Sabha.
However, the indefinite curfew which was in force in Dibrugarh municipal area was relaxed for 5 hours on Friday even as large number of people gathered in Chandmari area of Guwahati to observe a fast called by the AASU to protest against the Citizenship Act.
In Dibrugarh municipal area the indefinite curfew was relaxed from 8 am, officials said.
The Army and the security forces conducted flag marches in Guwahati town which was the epicentre of the protests, besides Dibrugarh and Tezpur.
A large number of people, including artists, singers and filmstars are observing a 10-hour fast called by the influential students’ organisation AASU against the Citizenship Act since 6 am on Friday in Guwahati.
AASU chief advisor Samujjal Bhattacharya said, “We will not succumb to any pressure and our agitation will continue.”
In another incident. the Army said it rescued passengers of an express train from a mob trying to set the carriages on fire at Naharkatia railway station.
An Army spokesperson said the mob had surrounded the Silchar-Dibrugarh Brahmaputra Express at Naharkatia and were in the process of setting it on fire when security forces intervened.
Meanwhile, in neighbouring Meghalaya, internet and SMS services were shut down.
CVD Diengdoh, additional secretary to the government of Meghalaya (home police) department, on Thursday, said that mobile Internet and messaging were suspended for 48 hours from 5 pm on Thursday in entire Meghalaya to prevent potential threat to public safety through SMS, WhatsApp, Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.
The district administration of East Khasi Hills district has imposed curfew in few areas of the city from 10 pm on Thursday night until further orders.
Protests against the controversial Bill also took place in national capital Delhi on Thursday with hundreds of Delhi University students burning copies of the “unconstitutional” legislation and people raising anti-government slogans at India Gate.
The Citizenship (Amendment) Bill received President Ram Nath Kovind’s nod on Thursday and it will now become a law.
The contentious bill that will grant Indian citizenship to non-Muslim migrants from Pakistan, Afghanistan and Bangladesh, was passed by the Rajya Sabha on Wednesday. The Lok Sabha had cleared it on Monday.
(With inputs from agencies)
Prasanta Patnaik