Tripura: One killed, 17 injured in clashes over Durga Puja donation collection

At least one person was killed and 17, including 15 cops were injured, in northern Tripura’s Kadamtala, where police opened fire in the air and resorted to lathi charge to disperse the mob after two religious communities clashed over the collection of Durga Puja donations, officials said on Monday.

Superintendent of Police, North Tripura District, Bhanupada Chakraborty confirming the death said that a body was recovered on Sunday night following the violent clashes and attacks but how the victim was killed is not yet confirmed.

“We are thoroughly investigating the entire episode of the attacks and counterattacks. At least 17 people, including 15 police personnel were injured in Sunday’s incidents,” Chakraborty told IANS over the phone from Dharmanagar.

The SP said that the situation in Kadamtala is now completely under control and police are taking appropriate action.

Two separate cases were registered in regard to the Kadamtala incident and so far eight people have been arrested.

The district administration on Sunday clamped prohibitory orders in Kadamtala police station jurisdiction under the Dharmanagar sub-division and a large contingent of security forces, including Tripura State Rifles (TSR), was deployed at the mixed-populated Kadamtala areas adjoining southern Assam.

An official of the district administration said that the prohibitory orders were clamped on Sunday under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita in Kadamtala police station jurisdiction till Wednesday to control the situation and restore normalcy.

Another police official said that the dispute arose over the collection of Durga Puja donations and people of different communities attacked each other for several hours on Sunday leading to communal tension at Kadamtala.

The official said that the mob vandalised many shops and houses and the police resorted to lathi-charge several times and opened fire in the air to disperse them.

North Tripura district police in a post on X said, “An incident related to law and order that occurred today under Kadamtala police station has been resolved with the intervention of religious leaders from both communities.”

“To further maintain peace in the area, Section 163 of the BNSS has been promulgated. We urge everyone to comply with this order, avoid gatherings, and refrain from spreading rumours or unverified information,” the district police said.

High tension prevailed in Kadamtala and some places of Dharmanagar subdivision, the district headquarters of North Tripura district.

Ruling BJP on Monday without specifying the names of any political party or organisation, said that conspiracies have been hatched for the past many weeks to disturb the peace and tranquillity of the state.

BJP Spokesman Nabendu Bhattacharjee said that senior police officials are camping in the trouble-torn Kadamtala and inquiring about the incident.

“Those people who are directly or indirectly involved with these violent incidents, attacks and instigation would be booked and stern legal action would be taken against them,” Bhattacharjee told the media alleging that a section of people are trying to create unrest ahead of the festive season.

Leader of the Opposition Jitendra Chaudhury talked to Tripura Chief Minister Manik Saha and senior police officials to inquire about the situation. Chaudhury, also the CPI (M) state secretary, requested the Chief Minister to deploy the Border Security Force and the Assam Rifles to control the situation.

Former Minister and Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman criticising Chief Minister Manik Saha wrote on his Facebook: “The chief minister was busy inaugurating a Durga Puja pandal in Agartala town till night when one people was killed in police firing and a bloody clash between two communities at Kadamtala market.”

He appealed to both communities to maintain peace, normalcy and brotherhood.