GUWAHATI: The death toll in Thursday’s police firing on protesters against the citizenship law in Guwahati rose to four since Saturday night after two youths succumbed to their injuries.

Ramen Talukdar, the superintendent of Guwahati Medical College and Hospital, said Ishwar Nayak died on Saturday night while Abdul Alim passed away on Sunday morning. Nayak took a bullet when protesters were fired upon near Down Town Hospital on GS Road. Alim was injured at Lalung Gaon in Lokhra.

As many as 26 people had been admitted to the state-run medical college with bullet injuries following the police crackdown on protesters. Sam Stafford , a 17-year-old boy who was shot at Hatigaon, died where he fell. Deepanjal Das died in hospital a few hours after he was shot in the stomach.

An oil tanker driver, Azizur Hoque, was killed in arson by suspected miscreants in Sonitpur on Saturday.

The police on Sunday defended the firing on protesters. Newly appointed additional DGP (law and order) GP Singh said told reporters that allegations and counter allegations were par for the course in a volatile situation like the one prevailing in Guwahati in the wake of the Citizenship (Amendment) Bill becoming a law. “For two days in Guwahati, there were acts of complete lawlessness committed by miscreants in many areas. This was visible to everyone. The fact is that police had to use tear gas , cane charge, stun grenades by thousands. It is known to everyone,” Singh said. "The law is very clear that you have to use all kinds of force at your disposal to prevent loss of life and property."

A senior police officer said 1,406 people had been taken into "preventive detention" across Assam so far. At least 175 of them, including Akhil Gogoi of the Krishak Mukti Sangram Samiti, have been arrested and remanded in judicial custody.



In Video: Assam: Death toll rises to 5 in protests against citizenship act