Partial shutdown in Tripura over killing of 3 tribals

Agartala, March 18: Tripura’s ruling CPI-M has called a 12-hour shut-down in Sabroom sub-division on Saturday and held demonstrations across the state to protest the killing of three tribals in BSF firing on Friday. An official statement of the Border Security Force (BSF) said its troopers, during patrolling, spotted a large number of locals trying to smuggle cattle to Bangladesh. When asked to stop, the villagers attacked the troopers with sharp weapons and batons. The troopers then fired, killing three persons.
“BSF jawans (sic) also seized ten cattle. An inquiry has been ordered by BSF to probe the incident,” Deputy Inspector General Hardeep Singh said in the statement. Two persons who were injured in the firing at Chittabari village along the India-Bangladesh border were admitted in a government hospital. However, locals complained to police that three BSF men tried to molest a young tribal woman, which was resisted by the villagers before the firing.
The state police said that in view of the CPI-M (Communist Party of India-Marxist) sponsored 12-hours strike the government, semi-government as well as private offices, educatiol institutions, banks, shops and business establishments were closed in the entire bordering Sabroom sub-division in southern Tripura. According to the police, heavy tension has been prevailing in the tribal domited areas, 145-km south of Agartala.
Director General of Tripura Police K. garaj said that the police led by Inspector General of Police (law and order) K.V. Sreejesh are now camping at the area to investigate the incident. “Whoever the guilty in the incident would not be spared,” the police chief said. Chief Minister Manik Sarkar, who also holds the home portfolio, asked the Chief Secretary Sanjeev Ranjan and state police chief to collect actual facts of the incident. A high level official team led by Tourism Minister Ratan Bhowmik and Rural Development and Forest Minister resh Jamatia have visited the trouble-torn areas and talked to the villagers.
Senior BSF and police officials along with a large contingent of security forces led by south Tripura’s district police chief Tapan Debbarma are camping in the area. Tripura shares an 856-km border with Bangladesh, a portion of which is still unfenced. (IANS)