Kokrajhar (Assam), Sep 17 (PTI) A suspected timber smuggler was shot dead by guards in Jharbari forest area in Assam's Kokrajhar district on Sunday, a police officer said.

He said a forest patrol party had spotted a group of suspected smugglers, carrying timber logs on bicycles, and asked them to stop.

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When the gang did not listen, the forest guards opened fire in which one of the suspects was hit and he died on the spot, the officer said.

The deceased has been identified as Hemanta Basumatary.

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As news of the development spread, locals staged a demonstration, claiming that he was not a smuggler.

Top police officers and Kokrajhar (East) MLA Lawrence Islary rushed to the spot to take stock of the situation after the incident.

The Kokrajhar district administration has also ordered a magisterial inquiry into the matter, the officer said.

Sub-Divisional Magistrate Jituraj Gogoi has been directed to conduct the probe and submit a detailed report within seven days, another police officer said.

(The above story is verified and authored by Press Trust of India (PTI) staff. PTI, India’s premier news agency, employs more than 400 journalists and 500 stringers to cover almost every district and small town in India.. The views appearing in the above post do not reflect the opinions of LatestLY)