Agartala, August 07, 2023: In a shocking incident in the Shimna area under Sidhai police station in West Tripura District, miscreants hurled acid bottles at a police van, resulting in five people, including two police officials, suffering burn injuries on Monday morning. The injured individuals were swiftly taken to GBP Hospital in Agartala for immediate medical attention, as reported by police sources.

The incident was preceded by a violent episode on Sunday, where a young man from Shimna was caught and brutally beaten by local traders in a public market. This act of aggression enraged the residents of the youth’s neighborhood, leading them to surround the homes of Prantosh Das, Kajal Das, and Subir Das, who were believed to have orchestrated the attack on the suspect.

A small police team managed to intervene and rescue the accused individuals from the escalating situation. However, as the police van attempted to leave the area, acid bottles were hurled at it, causing severe injuries to those inside.

Prantosh Das, one of the individuals targeted in the acid attack, asserted his innocence and claimed that other traders were responsible for beating up the alleged thief. He recounted how the attackers descended upon them without any provocation, even harming his wife in the process.

While a senior police official was unavailable for comment, police sources hinted that initial evidence suggests the acid attack was a retaliatory act. The manner in which the acid was deployed on the victims has heightened the gravity and heinous nature of the crime. An ongoing police investigation is underway to bring the perpetrators to justice.