On December 16, four miscreants allegedly opened fire on Assam forest officials inside the Behali Wildlife Sanctuary. The Assam Forest Department's initial reports state that when forest officials arrived, the group was illegally chopping trees inside the sanctuary.
The people allegedly fired indiscriminately after being asked to leave the area, according to officials, and then fled. Later, two machine saws were found at the location.
Champak Deka, the Divisional Forest Officer (DFO) of the East Sonitpur Forest Division, confirmed the occurrence and stated that the four people were engaged in forest destruction activities after breaking into the Behali forest region, which is under Assam's territorial jurisdiction.
Deka, however, refuted rumors that the miscreants and the police engaged in gunfire. "The people left two machine saws behind and ran away when the forest department team arrived.
An official with knowledge of the situation told The Assam Tribune that a case has been filed against four individuals at the Behali Police Station.
In the meantime, conflicting allegations from the two sides have led to the filing of a formal complaint (FIR) against an Assam forest official at the Seijosa Police Station in Arunachal Pradesh.
An Arunachal Pradesh police officer stated that although they were informed about the occurrence over the phone, the darkness prevented them from locating anyone at the scene.
"Empty cartridges were discovered at the location when the search was conducted again the next morning. The investigator added, "We have also received information alleging that Assam forest officials subjected the individuals involved to mental harassment." Around 11.30 am, a local Arunachal Pradesh resident reported hearing many gunshots, which caused panic in the region.
"After hearing the gun sounds, everybody were terrified. The local government ought to have been notified if any misconduct had taken place.
According to the resident, "the way the four people were allegedly targeted is inhuman and condemnable, with claims that an entire magazine was emptied."
Investigations are still underway, according to officials from both jurisdictions. As the situation develops, more information is anticipated.
