AASU office attack accused arrested in Bengal village

Guwahati March 22 (IANS) A man has been arrested in West Bengal for his alleged role in inciting a mob to attack and vandalise the All Assam Students Union s (AASU) office in Silapathar town of Assam.

Subodh Biswas was arrested by a joint team of the Assam Police and the CID around 4 a.m. on Wednesday from a remote village close to Indo-Bangladesh border in North 24-Paraganas district of West Bengal. He was hiding in the house of a retired teacher the Assam Police said adding that one of his accomplices has also been arrested.

The police said they will present him in a local court on Wednesday and then take him to Assam to stand trial.

On March 6 Subodh Biswas who heads Nikhil Bharat Bengali Udbastu Samannay Samiti (NBBUSS) addressed a rally demanding citizenship to Hindu Bangladeshis at Silapathar in Assam s Dhemaji district.

The police said he then incited a mob to attack and vandalise the office of the All Assam Student s Union which had been opposing the Centre s move to amend the Citizenship Act.

Protests were held in parts of the state since then demanding immediate arrest and exemplary punishment to Biswas.

The Assam government ordered a probe into the AASU office attack and the state police set up a Special Investigation Team (SIT) to look for Biswas who went missing immediately after the incident.

--IANS
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