Illegal toll collection from vehicles

Social organizations leaders in Tinsukia under scanner

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

DOOMDOOMA, Nov 28: Tinsukia SP Mughdha Jyoti Dev Mahanta said that a section of leaders of different social organizations have been involved in illegally collecting money from vehicles.  SP Mahanta said this when a delegation of Tinsukia District Jourlists Association (TDJA) met him on Friday.

According to SP Mahanta this so called leaders have been doing this for quite some time but the Police find it difficult to apprehend them as these miscreants carry out their ‘social service’ of detecting illegal transporters under the banner of different social organisations. However, there were massive uproar when a local correspondent covered a news story about seizing a vehicle carrying cardamom by Pollice in vercular daily on Nov 24.

Although the Police later allowed the vehicle to go the local scribe mentioned about involvement of the few members of a local ethnic student body in the sorry. This enraged them and they staged dhar in front of his residence on the following day for allegedly maligning the image of the organisation. The local scribe Hemanta Saikia, who is the secretary of Kakapather Press Club and an executive member of TDJA, was away from home at that time. However Kakapathar Police brought the situation under control by intervening into the matter.

In the meantime, TDJA convened an emergency executive meeting on November 26 and resolved to approach the District Administration for ensuring the safety of the jourlists.

It further resolved not to publish any news of the said student body till they publicly clarify the matter. Incidentally, the vercular daily published a rejoinder of the student organization on November 26 itself.