Situation tense but under control in Tripura’s Kumarghat after clashes between two communities

A day after clashes erupted between two communities over the collection of subscriptions for a local fair, the situation in the Kumarghat subdivision of Tripura’s Unakoti district remained tense but under control on Sunday, police said.

A senior police official in Agartala said that police on Saturday detained 10 persons from both communities. On Sunday, seven of the detainees were arrested and produced before a local court, with police seeking custody.

A large contingent of Assam Rifles, Tripura State Rifles (TSR), Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and state police has been deployed in the affected areas.

“The security forces led by senior officials are conducting regular patrolling and closely watching the situation. There has been no fresh incident since Saturday night,” Additional Superintendent of Police of Unakoti district Rupam Chakma told the media.

He warned that stern action would be taken against anyone spreading rumours or circulating fake photos and videos.

Another police official said additional security forces were deployed in mixed-populated areas and at religious places. Prohibitory orders were imposed in Kumarghat subdivision on Saturday after the clashes, which left five to six persons injured and resulted in damage to houses and properties, officials said.

Internet services have been suspended for 48 hours across the Kumarghat subdivision as a precautionary measure. In a letter to the District Magistrate, the Superintendent of Police, Unakoti district, requested the shutdown, citing a “sudden and serious law-and-order situation” following communal violence.

“The shutdown of all internet services has been necessitated as a precautionary measure to control the law-and-order situation by restricting the spread of false propaganda and messages,” the SP said.

According to police, the trouble began on Saturday when a group of youths stopped a timber-laden vehicle at Saidarpar under Fatikroy police station limits and demanded a subscription for a community fair. Tension escalated after a minority family in the Shimultala area allegedly refused to contribute, following which an unruly mob gathered and set fire to houses, vehicles and properties, including a timber shop, and vandalised a place of worship.

Following the incidents, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate of Kumarghat imposed Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), 2023, to prevent further escalation.

Acting Superintendent of Police Avinash Rai, along with District Magistrate Tamal Majumder and other senior officials, rushed to the affected areas and reviewed security arrangements. Police and central paramilitary forces also conducted flag marches as tension persisted in some pockets.

Meanwhile, state BJP president Rajib Bhattacharjee, state Congress president Ashis Kumar Saha, and CPI(M) state secretary and Leader of Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury separately condemned the violence and appealed for peace.

Senior Congress leader and former minister Birajit Sinha, along with Unakoti district Congress president Md. Badruzzaman, visited the area on Sunday but alleged that police prevented them from interacting with affected minority families.

“If speaking to ordinary citizens who have fallen victim to violence is treated as a crime, then nothing called democracy remains in the state,” Sinha told the media, calling it a “violation of democratic rights.”

(This story was taken from syndicated feed and was only edited for style by Gujarat Samachar Digital team)