The Assam government has formally launched an investigation into the causes and circumstances that led to a mob attack on a team of the Assam Regiment personnel.
Two army personnel, including a major and eight others were killed after being mistaken for militants at Adhiapara village near Hajo on December 1.
The inquiry, to be conducted by M S Pangtey, an Indian Administrative Service officer of the rank of additional chief secretary, will be completed within a month, Assam Chief Minister Tarun Gogoi said.
The army has already started an internal probe in this regard.
The Assam chief minister in a letter to Defence Minister George Fernandes blamed the army for not coordinating with the civil administration.
The letter mentions that the unfortunate tragedy could have been averted, had the army coordinated. A district level Unified Command structure exists for effective coordination between the army and civil administration for counter-insurgency operations in Assam.
In another development, the Assam Human Rights Commission has referred the Hajo incident to the National Human Rights Commission. The AHRC is not empowered to investigate any case against the armed forces.
Meanwhile, the Assam government and army authorities, rattled by the freak incident, are trying hard to prevent possible negative repercussions. An emergency meeting of the Unified Command has been convened on December 6 to discuss the incident and possible preventive measures to avoid a recurrence of such an incident.
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