Aizawl, Sep 24 — Mizoram Chief Minister Lalduhoma on Thursday has condemned the killing of a 29-year-old Assam Regiment jawan in the state and expressed condolences to the bereaved family, officials said on Thursday.
In a post on Facebook, the Chief Minister said that the killing of Sepoy Zakaria Lalhriattluanga (29) brought disgrace to the state and its people.
According to Lalduhoma, the soldier had returned to his native New Builum village on September 20 and was attacked by miscreants while travelling on the road, resulting in his death.
The Chief Minister said the accused involved in the incident were arrested due to the "good cooperation" between the police and the public, and added that they would face legal proceedings.
Lalduhoma termed the incident "deeply unfortunate" and said that a precious life had been lost.
He also said that such an incident had brought disrepute to Mizoram and expressed his desire that such incidents should never occur anywhere in the state.
"Let us all stand united," the Chief Minister said and appealed to the people.
Lalduhoma conveyed his condolences to Zakaria Lalhriattluanga's parents, wife and other family members, and prayed that God would give them strength and comfort.
The soldier was reportedly killed near Bualpui village in Mizoram's Kolasib district following a road accident and subsequent assault.
Meanwhile, six people have been arrested and two minors detained in connection with the killing of the Army's Assam Regiment jawan.
The victim, Zakaria Lalhriattluanga, who was serving in the Assam Regiment of the Army and was posted in Jammu and Kashmir, was returning to his native New Builum village on leave.
He arrived at Lengpui airport near Aizawl on September 20 and was travelling towards his home in a truck driven by his friend John Laltanpuia, who had gone to receive him at the airport.
The incident took place near Bualpui along National Highway-306, close to the Coffee Board plantation, when two trucks reportedly faced difficulty crossing each other on a badly damaged stretch of the road.
After the mishap, an argument broke out between the drivers, following which a group of youths allegedly became involved and assaulted John Laltanpuia.
The jawan (Zakaria Lalhriattluanga) reportedly intervened to protect his friend and was attacked. He sustained serious injuries and later succumbed to his wounds.
After a post-mortem examination, Lalhriattluanga's body was handed over to his family. He was cremated on September 21 with full military honours.
The slain Army jawan was the second youngest of five siblings and had been shouldering the responsibility of supporting his parents. His father, V.L. Duailova, a septuagenarian and former pastor, and his mother are no longer able to earn a livelihood due to their advanced age.
His younger brother, Stephen Lalrinngheta, works as a daily wage labourer to support the family, while his two elder brothers and sister have separate families.
The family of Lalhriattluanga said he was the sole breadwinner and had been supporting his elderly parents, while demanding justice for his killing. His mother, Lalthazovi, 60, said Lalhriattluanga joined the Assam Regiment in 2017 and was posted in Srinagar.