Borjhar, July 17: A peaceful protest at Tihu in Nalbari district today turned violent when a CRPF havildar, entrusted with preventing any untoward incident, opened fire, killing his colleague.

The havildar fired again when his colleagues tried to disarm him, injuring four more jawans and two civilians. Himanshu Tamuli, 15, one of the wounded, succumbed to his injuries at a hospital in Nalbari.

Sources said nearly 500 people, under the banner of Tihu Subdivision Demand Committee, had gathered at Tihu Chowk around 9 this morning and blocked National Highway 31 demanding Tihu be declared a subdivision. Around 20 CRPF personnel were on duty at the protest site.

Around 10.45am, when the protest was about to end, CRPF havildar Amal Das suddenly opened fire, killing D.C. Bordoloi, an assistant sub-inspector of the force, sources said. Das's colleagues later managed to overpower him and take away his rifle.

While Das hails from Cachar district, Bordoloi was from Morigaon.

"The firing was unfortunate and unwarranted. The havildar may have been suffering from a mental problem or had a personal problem with the officer," said Nalbari superintendent of police Bedanta Madhab Rajkhowa. He said a murder case would be registered against the havildar.

The injured persons have been referred to Guwahati Medical College and Hospital.

Sankar Kumar Das, secretary of the demand committee, who took part in the protest, said it was democratic and totally peaceful. "Protesters did not turn violent and even allowed an ambulance to pass through."

The committee was established in 1974. Das said Tihu is a commercial town and satisfies all the conditions to become a subdivision.

"We wanted to send a message to the government by taking part in a peaceful protest. What was the need to fire on peaceful protesters?" Das asked.

The protesters included BJP legislator Manoranjan Das and former legislators Malaya Barman, Paniram Rabha and Rekha Rani Das Boro.

Das said a delegation of the committee had met chief minister Tarun Gogoi yesterday and apprised him of their demand. Gogoi had assured the group that he would look into "the genuineness of the demands", he added.

After the meeting, the group met revenue minister Bhumidhar Barman but Das alleged that the minister was not interested in the matter.

The committee has demanded a judicial inquiry into the incident and adequate compensation to the next of kin of the student and the injured. "We demand punishment for the guilty," Das said.