A CORRESPONDENT
DIBRUGARH: A controversy has surfaced in Dibrugarh after a 75-year-old woman entrepreneur accused officials and workers of the Dibrugarh Municipal Corporation (DMC) of intimidation, verbal abuse and property damage during an enforcement drive.
Tushar Kana Dutta, proprietor of the popular Fill in the Blank restaurant at Red Cross Road, Khaliamari, has filed complaints with the DMC, Dibrugarh Police Station and the Assam Human Rights Commission over an incident that occurred on June 16.
According to Dutta, a municipal team arrived at her establishment around 4:30 pm to remove a roadside signboard. She claimed she did not resist the action and only requested one hour to dismantle the structure herself. However, she alleged that officials instead threatened and humiliated her in public.
In her complaint, Dutta accused the enforcement team of criminal intimidation, using abusive language, threatening to damage her personal vehicle and carrying out demolition without prior written notice. She also alleged that municipal workers destroyed a custom-built LED glow signboard worth around Rs 25,000 and damaged electrical wiring valued at about Rs 5,000.
"I am a 75-year-old woman. I only requested some time to remove the signboard myself. Rather than showing courtesy, they threatened and humiliated me publicly. I have been left deeply traumatised," Dutta stated.
She further claimed that CCTV footage, photographs and eyewitnesses from neighbouring establishments could substantiate her allegations. Authorities have yet to respond to the accusations.
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