Two security personnel injured during anti-Ganja drive in Sepahijala

At least two security personnel were injured during an anti-Ganja (Cannabis) plantation destruction drive in the border-area of North Kalamchowra under Sepahijala district on Monday morning, after suspected Ganja cultivators allegedly resorted to stone-pelting and attacks on the joint forces.

According to sources, law enforcement agencies have been carrying out large-scale operations since January to destroy illegal Ganja plantations in various forest areas across Tripura. As part of this ongoing crackdown, personnel of the Assam Rifles, Tripura State Rifles (TSR), and police launched a joint operation in the North Kalamchowra area on Monday.

However, during the operation, suspected Ganja cultivators allegedly surrounded the joint forces from multiple directions, armed with sharp weapons, bricks, and stones. The attackers reportedly flashed weapons and pelted stones at the Assam Rifles and TSR jawans, creating a tense situation.

Sources claimed that four Assam Rifles personnel sustained injuries in the incident, though the Assam Rifles, in an official statement, maintained that none of their jawans were injured. To disperse the aggressive mob, personnel of the Assam Rifles and BSF were compelled to fire 15 to 20 rounds in the air. Despite this, the cultivators allegedly refused to retreat.

Left with no alternative, the joint forces withdrew from the area and shifted the injured personnel to a nearby hospital for treatment.

It has been alleged that the anti-Ganja operation could not achieve its intended objective due to stiff resistance from the cultivators. Sources further said that this is the peak season for harvesting and storing dried Ganja, and in an attempt to prevent seizure of their produce, the cultivators launched a coordinated attack on the security forces.

Confirming the incident, Tripura Police’s chief spokesperson Rajdeep Deb said that as the situation went out of control, Assam Rifles personnel opened blank fire to disperse the suspected Ganja growers. Although the cultivators were initially driven away from the spot, they were later seen standing along village roads in an attempt to obstruct the operation.

Deb added that strict action would be taken against those involved in the attack on security personnel and that investigations are underway to identify the main instigators behind the violence.