One more person, who was seriously injured during the clash between security personnel and anti-Bru protestors at Panisagar in North Tripura on Saturday, died taking the death toll to 2.

The deceased has been identified as 40-year-old Biswajit Debbarma, who was a fire service employee.

On Saturday, a civilian, identified as 47-year-old Srikanth Das, was killed as Tripura State Rifles personnel opened fire at the protestors who blocked the National Highway at Chamtila in Panisagar sub-division of North Tripura district.

Srikanth Das was a resident of Kanchanpur.

Also read: Bru re-settlement row: Tripura government orders magisterial inquiry into shooting incident

A total of 7 civilians and 15 other people including policemen, fire service personnel and government officials were injured in the incident.

Biswajit Debbarma, who received head injuries during the clash with the protestors, was shifted to GBP hospital, Agartala on Saturday night but succumbed to his injuries.

This has been confirmed by the North Tripura superintendent of police, Bhanupada Chakraborty.

Meanwhile, the leaders of Joint Movement Committee (JMC), who has opposed the resettlement of the Bru refugees in North Tripura, had a meeting with Tripura social welfare minister Santana Chakma and BJP MLA Bhagaban Das at Panisagar forest bungalow yesterday night.

The JMC recently launched blockade on the National Highway in North Tripura in support of their demands.

After the meeting, the JMC leaders announced to withdraw the blockade in Panisagar sub-division from Sunday morning.

However, the JMC leaders were not ready to withdraw the indefinite strike in Kanchanpur sub-division.

Joint Movement Committee leader Sushanta Bikash Barua said they would continue their indefinite strike until their demands are fulfilled by the Tripura government.

The state government has ordered a magisterial level inquiry into the incident to find out those who were responsible for creating unrest in Kanchanpur and Panisagar over the resettlement of Bru refugees.

The state government announced an amount of Rs. 5 lakh as compensation to the victims’ families while it would bear all the medical expenditures for the injured persons.

The opposition Congress and CPI(M) have strongly criticised the state government for the incident.

Tripura Congress president Pijush Biswas blamed the state government for “imposing” their decision on the people without taking their concern.

Biswas demanded that an all-party meeting be called by the government to discuss the Bru re-settlement issue.

The CPI(M) said the strike launched by the JMC has been continuing for the last seven days, but the state government is not ready to talk to them.

“The state government is reluctant to solve the problem,” the left party said.

The left party demanded that the Bru resettlement issue be solved by the state government with a humane approach.  The party also demanded a high-level investigation into the incident.

BJP spokesperson Nabendu Bhattacharjee said, “The government is doing its best to resolve the issue.”