Nagaon, May 26: A case of mistaken identity led to the death of the headman of a Dimasa village along Karbi Anglong's border with Nagaland, after a police team fired at him in retaliation, suspecting him to be an NSCN (I-M) militant.

According to police, the headman was the first to open fire, suspecting that the team approaching his hut were Naga militants out to extort him.

The incident took place at the break of dawn today at Disapur, a village under Dillai police station in Bokajan subdivision, 80km from the district headquarters, Diphu.

The patrol found the headman, Dibajoy Phonglosa, 45, in a critical condition before he succumbed to his injuries in the hut, the police said. Phonglosa, according to the police, was a "very co-operative and social person".

Constable Pranab Bora was critically injured in the incident and later shifted to Gauhati Medical College and Hospital.

According to the police, a team from Dillai police station, accompanied by army personnel, was patrolling the area at Disapur when Phonglosa fired from a hut with a rifle.

"The team retaliated, suspecting an ambush by militants. After some time, they found the body of the village headman inside the hut. He succumbed to his injuries soon after we found him. A 12-bore gun with ammunition was recovered at the site," said a local police source.

"Before he breathed his last, Phonglosa said he mistook the team for Naga militants and that as a headman, he considered it his duty to defend the village," the source said.

Karbi Anglong superintendent of police M.J. Mahanta said, "Possession of illegal arms without a licence is a crime, but people in the border areas generally keep such arms for self- defence. There is ground to consider that the arms might belong to a militant outfit. Things will come out during the course of investigation. But when police on duty are targeted it is but natural that they will retaliate."

Disapur, a Dimasa-inhabited village created in 1985, is yet to be recognised by the local administration. "The village is not recognised and naturally, Phonglosa is not a recognised village headman," said a source in the local administration.

Phonglosa's body was sent to Diphu for post-mortem.

The villagers alleged that militants who infiltrate the border from neighbouring states, target the headman and ask them to collect "tax" from the people for their kitty.

"Phonglosa is innocent and he did not have any links with militants. His death is a big loss for Disapur," said Rothindra Haffila, a Dimasa villager.