After meeting Tripura Minister Sushanta Chowdhury, the Twipra Students’ Federation (TSF) called off its 12-hour bandh that was scheduled to be observed on Monday over alleged assault on two students by traffic policemen.
The TSF and BJP leaders agreed on the point that Bandh is not a solution to the problems
“The Minister has assured justice and FIR has been lodged over the assault. The state government agreed to take steps as per the demands of TSF within four days. If demands are not met the strike could be called again,” said TSF General Secretary John Debbarma.
Earlier on Sunday, TSF Chairman Upendra Debbarma had called 12-hours of dawn to dusk strike in Tripura on Monday protesting against the police high handedness on two tribal youth.
According to Debbarma, on January 13 last, the vehicle belonging to the youth broke down adjacent to Agartala’s circuit house area and coincidentally, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb cavalcade was passing by. The youth could not follow the police’s instructions due to the technical glitches developed in their vehicle and later they were arrested by a traffic police team led by officer Kishore Banik.
He said they were tormented in the police station and the on-duty officers physically assaulted them.
“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 had said while addressing a press conference at Agartala Press Club.
He had also said that some people might try to paint this incident in communal colour and appealed to the people to maintain peace.
Meanwhile, Tripura Police has also issued a statement where it said that the vehicle obstructed the convoy of the Chief Minister 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 car driven by one Angel Reang had illegally obstructed the convoy of the 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 unparliamentarily language against the Chief Minister,” said the police.
After that the said Angel Reang along with his co-passenger Abhijit Debbarma along with the vehicle 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,” the police statement added.
Based on this complaint, a case was registered at NCC Police under sections 353 and 332 of the Indian Penal Code (IPC).
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. (ANI)
