Guwahati, Aug. 29 -- Nearly eight and a half years after police firing at Maibang Railway Station in Assam's Dima Hasao district left two protesters dead and a dozen others injured, the Gauhati High Court has directed the Assam government to pay exemplary compensation to the victims' families, while declining to order a fresh independent probe.

A division bench of Justice Kalyan Rai Surana and Justice N. Unni Krishnan Nair disposed of a writ petition filed by Richard Sangyung, whose brother Sunujit Sangyung was seriously injured in the firing.

The court directed the Assam government to pay Rs 3 lakh each to the families of the two deceased, Praben Hakmus and Mithun Dibragede, and Rs 2 lakh each to three seriously injured victims - Alpan...