MOB FURY: Security personnel inspecting the spot where members of the All-Assam Students' Union smashed the windscreen of a bus during the 12-hour Assam bandh in Guwahati on Tuesday. — Photo: Ritu Raj Konwar

Guwahati: Violence marred the 12-hour Assam Bandh called by the All Assam Students' Union (AASU) on Tuesday. Supporters of the bandh set fire to several vehicles, assaulted a senior railway official and pelted stones on public and private vehicles in the city and other parts of the State.

For the first time, since the days of the Assam agitation, the bandh evoked total response in the three districts of Barak valley. The bandh was called to protest the killing of nine persons in police firing at Kakopathar and the death of Ajit Mahanta allegedly in Army custody. The State Government on Tuesday shifted the Deputy Commissioner of Tinsukia district, Gautom Ganguli.

Official assaulted

Police said the Chief Commercial Manager of North East Frontier Railway, Kaushik Mukhopadhaya, was injured when he was assaulted at Maligaon. He is undergoing treatment at a hospital. The AASU activists also damaged four vehicles belonging to the railways. The Public Relations Officer, N. F. Railway, Jayanta Sarma, told The Hindu that when the AASU workers assaulted Mr. Mukhopadhyaya and his driver, he tried to intervene. "But they were in no mood to listen and instead attacked my vehicle and damaged my vehicle," said Mr. Sarma who lodged an FIR at police outpost.

The bandh supporters also damaged the vehicle of Commissioner, Lower Assam Division at Panbazar. The police arrested 46 bandh supporters in the city.

Police said bandh supporters also set ablaze two vehicles and damaged a number of vehicles including buses run by the Assam State Transport Corporation (ASTC) in different parts of the city. More than 400 AASU workers were arrested.

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