Reported by Mrinal Kanti Banik
Agartala: Eight people have been arrested and 19 named in a police case following a clash between villagers and Border Security Force (BSF) personnel near the India-Bangladesh border at Ashabari in Boxanagar, Tripura’s Sepahijala district, police said on Tuesday.
Chief Minister Manik Saha confirmed the arrests and warned that those involved in the assault on security personnel would face strict legal action. He also directed the authorities to take prompt action against all those involved.
In a post on X, Saha said eight accused had been taken into custody and assured that the investigation would continue until the remaining suspects were apprehended.
According to a senior police officer, three BSF personnel, including a Company Commander, sustained injuries after a group of villagers allegedly attacked them with sticks and bamboo during a confrontation on Monday under Kalamchaura police station.
The officer said the incident began when BSF personnel reportedly noticed Indian and Bangladeshi nationals suspected of engaging in illegal activities near the international border. When the personnel attempted to intercept an Indian suspect, the Bangladeshi nationals allegedly escaped across the border fence.
The Indian suspect also reportedly fled and later approached villagers, claiming that BSF personnel had assaulted him. This triggered a gathering of local residents, who allegedly surrounded a BSF vehicle and attacked the personnel. Some members of the crowd reportedly attempted to snatch a service rifle from a jawan, while the vehicle was damaged. One person from the group also sustained injuries during the confrontation.
However, accounts from local sources offered a different version of how the incident began. According to them, the confrontation followed an altercation between a BSF jawan and a local resident identified as Hefzur Rahman, who was allegedly hit with a baton. The incident reportedly led to a road blockade along the Boxanagar-Rahimpur stretch, disrupting traffic.
Assistant Commandant Rohit Kumar subsequently reached the location with personnel from the BSF’s Rahimpur Border Outpost. The team allegedly came under attack from the gathering, and their vehicle was also damaged. The situation reportedly escalated further after additional BSF personnel arrived.
Assistant Commandant Rohit Kumar and three other personnel were taken to Boxanagar Primary Health Centre for initial treatment, according to local sources. However, the police officer confirmed that three BSF personnel were injured.
The personnel were deployed with the BSF’s 49th Battalion at Ashabari Border Outpost.
Senior officials from the BSF and Tripura Police later visited the area and intervened to bring the situation under control. Police said the situation had subsequently been brought under control and that an investigation was underway to establish the sequence of events.
Meanwhile, West Tripura MP and former Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb condemned the attack, stating that the incident involved personnel responsible for protecting the country’s borders. He said eight of the 19 accused had been arrested and called for the remaining suspects to be apprehended.
Tripura shares an 856-km international border with Bangladesh, which surrounds the state on three sides. Border fencing and heightened security arrangements have been implemented along much of the frontier to prevent smuggling and other cross-border criminal activities.