Agartala: A late-night altercation at the newly built MLA hostel has triggered a political row in Tripura, with Tipra Motha legislator Philip Kumar Reang filing an FIR against Pratik Dev Varma, son of Telangana Governor Jishnu Dev Varma, and three others.
Reang initially claimed that unidentified miscreants had attacked and abused him. He later revised his statement to specifically name Dev Varma as one of the accused.
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Police sources confirmed that officers arrested Dev Varma but later granted him bail, as the charges fall under non-bailable sections.
The incident led several Tipra Motha MLAs, headed by Minister Brishaketu Debbarma, to meet Chief Minister Manik Saha at the state secretariat on Tuesday.
Speaking to the media, Debbarma emphasized that the issue transcended party lines and concerned the safety of all legislators.
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“Even if the attack had targeted an opposition MLA, we would have raised the same concern. We trust the administration to take adequate steps to prevent such lapses in the future,” he stated.
The Chief Minister’s Office confirmed the meeting in an official statement and assured that the police would conduct a thorough investigation.
The statement also mentioned that authorities would review the hostel’s security arrangements to safeguard elected representatives.
Sources said that Dev Varma and two associates had visited the hostel to meet another MLA. While leaving, they engaged in a heated exchange with Reang, who was standing on his balcony.
CCTV footage later circulated on social media showed Dev Varma adopting an aggressive stance, though others around him restrained him before he exited the premises.
DGP Anurag visited the hostel after the incident and told reporters that the police had ensured adequate security. He added that a probe was ongoing to determine the exact sequence of events.
The FIR names Dev Varma and three others, one identified as Ajoy, while the police are still trying to trace the remaining two individuals.