Japanese encephalitis has broken out in different parts of Dhemaji district. It may be mentioned that Ankur Purkayastha (9 months) of Sila gaon died of Japanese encephalitis recently and four children from different places of the district are still under treatment at Dhemaji Civil Hospital. They are Rohini Panging (6) of Lakhipathar, Biplav Pegu (3) of Tiadhal Kenkuri, and Tasang Kuli (9) of Punoi Chariali Jan. Another aged patient named Budheswari Phukan of Bor Ajuha of west Dhemaji has been advised to be shifted to the Assam Medical College and Hospital at Dibrugarh for improved treatment. On the other hand, three other children named Salsitni Barman (6), Kiran Dihingia (7) and Sabita Gohain (9) have been released from the hospital recently after being cured. The people of the affected areas have demanded spraying of DDT in their respective localities. Mysterious death: Sensation prevails in Machkhowa area in Dhemaji district following the mysterious death of one Ranjit Saikia (Bhai, 20), son of Keshab Saikia, an inhabitant of Machkhowa Pathalial gaon under Machkhowa police outpost. The body was recovered hanging from a tree at Doulguri Chariali, which is situated barely 300 metres from Machkhowa police outpost in the morning of July 10. The police on examining the body at 3 pm in the presence of an executive magistrate noticed some scar marks and suspected that the young man was murdered. Though an enquring into the incident is on, no one has been arrested till the time if filing this report. The body was subsequently sent to Dhemaji Civil Hospital for postmortem.