Mizoram’s apex student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) on Wednesday demanded the Tripura government to hand over the accused, who have been arrested in connection with the alleged assault on two Indian Reserve battalion personnel, to the custody of Mizoram police.
The students’ organization president B Vanlaltana said the meeting of office bearers and advisers of the students’ body on Wednesday vehemently slammed the Chakma residents of Kawnpui village in North Tripura district for physically assaulting two IR personnel from Mizoram, who were deployed for border sealing duty between Thairdawr and Zomuantlang villages in west Mizoram’s Mamit district along the state border with Tripura on April 18 last.
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“We strongly condemn the brutal assault on the men in uniform, which was committed by outsiders within our own territory,” he said, adding that such incident should not be repeated in future.
Also read: Two Indian Reserve Battalion personnel assaulted by mob in Mizoram
The meeting also demanded to hand over the accused to Mizoram police and blamed the Tripura government for producing them before a sub-divisional judicial magistrate court in Tripura’s Kanchandpur.
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Quoting section 177 of the Criminal Procedure Code (CrPC), Vanlaltana said every offence shall ordinarily be inquired into and tried by a court within whose local jurisdiction it was committed.
He said that section 178 (2)(d) also stated that any act committed in different local areas may be inquired into or tried by a court having jurisdiction over any of such local areas, he said.
According to the student leader, the accused must be tried in Mizoram as the crime was committed within the very territory of the state and case against them was registered at West Phaileng police station in Mamit district.
“The Tripura government was acting outside its jurisdiction. Therefore, the accused must be handed over to the custody of Mizoram police immediately,” Vanlatana said.
On Sunday, three people from Kawnpui village were arrested by Tripura police for assaulting the IR personnel. However, an accused identified as Santilal Chakma escaped during medical examination and is still at large.
The two accused were produced before a magistrate in Kanchandpur sub-divisional court and were released on bail on Tuesday.
Mizoram deputy inspector general of police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte, however, said the accused were not tried but produced at the nearest court as per the existing law.
He said the accused were produced before a court in Tripura as the Mizoram police failed to obtain transit remand within 24 hours of the arrest.
He said that necessary efforts are being taken to appeal against the court judgment at an appellate court.
According to the police officer, the state DGP has ordered a high level inquiry into the incident to be conducted by DIG (CID).
Meanwhile, a complaint has been lodged at Champhai police station against five facebook users for allegedly trying to bring communal disharmony by spreading false information.
TBC Lalvenchhunga in his complaint said that four five Facebook users, who goes by the name Atul P Chakma, Sadhan Chakma, Amit Chakma, Rina Chakma and Amisha Chakma have spread false information, rumours and hearsay on social media by maligning other community without evidence at a time when the country needs solidarity to fight the COVID-19 pandemic.
He alleged that the five individuals shared a fabricated and unsubstantiated video and news about the torching of an empty farm house near Kawnpui village in order to create hostility between the Mizos and Chakmas in Mizoram as well as Tripura.