Silchar, Aug. 29: Applicants for PCOs in any of the “sensitive” areas of south Assam’s Cachar and Karimganj districts will henceforth have to clear another hurdle: a thorough verification of their credentials by the police.

A senior official said the telecom department had been asked not to clear any such application without police consent.

He said the step had been necessitated by reports of militants and “foreign agents” frequenting PCOs in Badarpur, Bhanga, Karimganj town, Tilla Bazar, Nilambazar and Fakirabazar.

Another source said the police was peeved with Bharat Sanchar Nigam Ltd (BSNL) for not devising a proper system of scrutinising applications for STD kiosks near the border.

In a letter to BSNL’s general manager for south Assam, Srihari Roy, Karimganj superintendent of police S. Gogoi asked for printouts of STD-call records of all PCOs along the Indo-Bangladesh border. However, both officials today declined to comment on the steps initiated to prevent misuse of PCOs in the border areas.

Rape case

Karimganj police have beefed up security in Ratabari block in view of tension over the rape and murder of a tea garden worker at Singlacherra on Saturday.

Sources said two persons raped Rita Rabidas, 35, while she was collecting firewood at Dhukipur forest reserve, adjoining the tea estate. She is believed to have succumbed to injuries resulting from the sexual assault on her.

The victim’s relatives recovered her body the next day from near a pond in the forest reserve. The accused, identified as Abdul Kayum and Niyamat Ali, are in police custody.

The police are planning to constitute a peace committee to prevent a communal clash over the incident.