Seven security personnel injured in civilian attack: Tripura CM orders inquiry

Agartala/UNI: Tripura Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha sought a detailed report into the alleged attack on security forces on Friday by a group of villagers who have been involved in cannabis cultivation in Simna along Indo-Bangladesh border of West Tripura.

At least seven policemen and CRPF personnel, including an Additional Superintendent of Police and an Assistant Commandant, sustained serious injuries in the attack while returning after destroying about 60,000 cannabis plants in an orchard in Panchabati village, police said.

The victim Additional Superintendent of Police (Rural) Uttam Banik, stated that they went to the village based on a secret input on Friday to destroy a large orchard of cannabis plants, as cultivation, storage, transportation, and consumption of cannabis are banned in Tripura.

"While returning after destroying the orchard, the group of local people launched an unprovoked attack on the security forces and started pelting stones and bricks on the police vehicles which left seven personnel injured,” Banik stated, adding that the villagers ran away when police chased them.

According to the report, the villagers initially prevented the road, demanding compensation for their loss, and held them captive for a while. But when police and CRPF jawans retaliated and charged a mild lathi at the villagers, they started pelting stones and bricks.

The agitators vandalized three police buses and a Bolero car. The injured security personnel were taken to Katlamara Primary Health Centre and then shifted to Agartala Govt Medical College but all of them were stated out of danger, police added.

Chief Minister Dr. Saha who had gone to attend the swearing-in ceremony of the newly elected Chief Minister of Rajasthan on Friday night asked the home department to go for an inquiry to identify the persons behind the villagers who have been challenging the government's zero-tolerance mission against drugs.