Two personnel of the 5th Indian Reserve (IR) Battalion were allegedly assaulted by a mob while along the Mizoram-Tripura border in west Mizoram’s Mamit district, a senior police officer said on Sunday.
The victims identified as C Lalhruaitluanga and R Zairemmawia were part of the forces, that guarded the state border at Zomuantlang in Zawlnuam block of Mamit district under the jurisdiction of West Phaileng police station, to prevent cross border movement.
Mizoram Deputy Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte said that the incident occurred around 5 pm on Saturday when the two personnel asked four men belonging to Chakma community, who were part of the village task force, to stop playing cards and remain vigil citing that senior officers were about to come for an inspection.
He said that the four volunteers, two of them from Tripura, were allegedly playing with cards the whole day.
At Zomuantlang volunteers from Mizoram and Tripura are jointly guarding the inter-state borders to prevent public movement in a bid to contain the spread of novel coronavirus, according to Khiangte.
The volunteers were assisted by Mizoram police and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel.
Irritated by the order, the four men incited their friends numbering about 100 in a neighbouring village on Tripura side and brutally beaten up the two personnel, the police officer said.
He said that a case has been registered at West Phaileng police station over the alleged assault.
Khiangte also said that he informed his Tripura counterpart about the incident and the Mizoram government has sent reinforcement to Zomuantlang.
The victims were admitted at Aizawl civil hospital on Sunday and they are out of critical, he said.
He said that three persons identified as Santilal Chakma (31), Bimal Chakma (19) and Mohanlal Chakma (27), all from Kawnpui-I village in Tripura have been arrested in connection with the incident on Sunday evening.
Meanwhile, Mizoram’s apex student body Mizo Zirlai Pawl (MZP) and main opposition Mizoram People’s Movement (ZPM) vehemently condemned the incident and demand stringent punishment against those involved in the alleged assault.
The MZP body also demanded the transfer of the officer-in-charge of Zomuantlang outpost and asked the state government to deploy more policemen there.
While citing that the Chakma volunteers from Tripura should not be deployed to guard the inter-state border, the student body also demanded that medical expenses be borne by the attackers.