The district administration in Jorhat has enforced a movement prohibition during night hours along the Assam-Nagaland inter-state boundary to address pressing security considerations. District Magistrate Jay Shivani officially issued the directive, which restricts all public and vehicular traffic within a 5-kilometre zone on the Assam side of the border. Operating continuously from 8:00 PM in the evening until 5:00 AM the following morning, this precautionary measure aims to fortify the regional perimeter against potential security breaches and preserve public tranquillity across the district.
Intelligence Inputs Highlight Extremist Movement Risks
Security personnel instituted these stringent measures following sensitive intelligence reports supplied by the Intelligence Branch alongside local district police authorities. These assessments indicated that militant organizations might attempt to cross over from Nagaland into Assam, carrying out unlawful operations capable of disturbing civil peace and public order within Jorhat district.
Additionally, specific intelligence briefings pointed toward recent recruitment drives conducted by ULFA-I. Security analysis indicates that newly inducted volunteers could attempt to exploit the sensitive inter-state border region as a tactical transit corridor for movement, logistics, and related subversive activities. The administration emphasized that unrestricted travel along the border during nighttime hours presents a severe vulnerability, potentially enabling unlawful elements to slip across unmonitored sectors.
Exempted Categories and Strict Penal Provisions
The formal restriction order has been promulgated under the relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS). To ensure that essential governance and security operations remain uninterrupted, specific exemptions have been granted. Personnel actively performing official duties, including members of the Indian Army, paramilitary security forces, state police personnel, duty magistrates, forest department officials, and other authorized law-enforcement agencies, are permitted to move within the restricted belt.
District authorities noted that historical precedent demonstrates the effectiveness of such tactical border curfews. In previous instances, temporary movement prohibitions along the Assam-Nagaland frontier successfully disrupted inter-state criminal networks and thwarted anti-national operations by denying transit routes to lawbreakers. The administration reiterated that strict compliance will be enforced, warning that any individual violating the curfew order will face immediate legal prosecution under Section 223 of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
