• Abhijit Nath, NET Correspondent, Tripura 

In connection to the Tripura police highhandedness on two indigenous youth, the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) chairman Upendra Debbarma on Sunday announced 12-hour dawn to dusk strike across the state as a protest for harassing these youths, which commenced from Monday.

In a press conference, TSF advisory committee chairman Upendra Debbarma said “On January 13 last, two youths on a vehicle were proceeding towards Agartala but the vehicle stopped at Circuit House area. Coincidentally, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb convoy was passing by. The youths could not follow the traffic police officer’s instructions due to technical snags in their vehicle and they were puzzled too. Later, the officer arrested the duo.”

Debbarma alleged that the on-duty officers physically assaulted their private parts.

The chairman demanded “The person involved in the case should be booked under the ST Atrocities Act and he should be terminated from his post. With this set of demands, we have called this Bandh. This is a clear case of human rights violation and thus calls for stringent action from the state government”.

Debbarma further added, “Some people may try to give this incident a communal colour, but I appeal all to maintain peace”.

Meanwhile, Tripura Police on Sunday has also issued a press communique claiming that the vehicle obstructed the convoy of Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb and on being asked the accused Angel Reang misbehaved with the on-duty police officials.

“On January 13 at around 10 pm, one complaint was received at NCC police station from Kishore Banik of Traffic Unit, Agartala, that one white Scorpio vehicle bearing registration number TR04B-0793 driven by one Angel Reang had illegally obstructed the convoy of the Hon’ble Chief Minister of Tripura near Circuit House when he was coming from Northgate towards Secretariat.”

“Accordingly, the said Traffic constable Kishore Banik who was on-duty near Circuit House had walked over to the vehicle and enquired about the issue to the driver Angel Reang. The said Angel Reang had misbehaved with the said traffic constable and also pushed him. He also used unparliamentary language against the Chief Minister. After that the said Angel Reang along with his co-passenger Abhijit Debbarma along with vehicle No. TR04B 0793 was brought to Astabal Traffic Unit by constable Kishore Banik with the help of his colleague constable Jahangir Hossein from Radhanagar Traffic Picket. The Traffic Unit said Angel Reang had again misbehaved with Kishore Banik and assaulted him physically. Based on this complaint, a case was registered at 2210 hrs at NCC PS (NCC PS Case No. 2022NCC005 dated 13-01-2022 U/s 353/332 of IPC)”, the police communique added.

The statement also described the steps being taken by the police to investigate the matter and also mentioned that a separate inquiry had been ordered against traffic officer Kishore Banik. Deputy Superintendent of Police Traffic unit Agartala Koyel Debbarma is leading the inquiry panel. The accused Traffic policeman Kishore Banik had been closed in view of the inquiry.

BJP’s coalition partner IPFT general secretary and Tribal Welfare minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia while reacting to the Bandh said that this Bandh has been called by the students and they have every right to protest demanding justice. TIPRA Motha President and veteran indigenous leader Bijoy Kumar Hrangkhwal also extended support to the Bandh and condemned the incident.

Apart from this, former chief minister and leader of opposition Manik Sarkar sharply reacted to the incident of police’s reported highhandedness on two indigenous youths at circuit house area in Agartala. He castigated the entire police force claiming that the police had blatantly failed to discharge their duties impartially.

In a press communique in this regard, Sarkar said, “The break down in their car did not hamper the CM’s convoy’s smooth passage, they had been taken to police station and harassed, assaulted and abused by the on-duty police officials”.

Remarking the incident as a visible example of “misuse of power”, the leader of the opposition said that urgent punitive action should be taken against the people involved in the incident as such sort of behavior from the police is tantamount to unpardonable offense.