Elderly woman dies during NRC hearing in Assam

At Sontoli, one of the trucks hired for hearings. (Express photo: Abhishek Saha)

A 60-year-old woman from Assam’s Kamrup district died on Monday after she fell ill while attending an NRC hearing in Nagaon district.

A police officer said Rezia Khatun had complained of not feeling well and was rushed to a hospital. “She was declared dead,” he said. Khatun belonged to Dakachang village in Chaomoria Revenue Circle in Kamrup (rural) district and was called for a hearing in Noltoli in Nagaon, around 250 km away. The exact cause of death is not known yet.

Read | Assam districts panic, notices at night for NRC hearings 300 km away

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The Indian Express reported on Monday that thousands of people in lower Assam districts had received notices from NRC authorities on Sunday, asking them to appear in hearings over the next few days. Some of the hearings were held 300-400 km away from their homes.

The short notice and lack of information caused confusion among those summoned.