Tension in Tripura over arrest of IPFT supporter

FROM A CORRESPONDENT

AGARTALA, Oct 4:   Tension is brewing here over the arrest of an Indigenous Peoples’ Front of Tripura (IPFT) supporter in connection with the missing of a driver two weeks ago.

A large number of people mostly women gheraoed the Radhapur police station here demanding immediate release of arrested IPTF supporter Balendra Debbarma.

Supporters of the IPFT, a regiol political party claimed that Balendra is innocent and his arrest is nothing but political vendetta. They threatened to continue the protest until he was released.

Abhijit Saptarshi, SP (West) said that the police has detained Debbarma and women supporters of the IPFT is demonstrating in front of the police station but said the situation is still under control.

The driver Jiban Debth went missing on September 20 when a group of people detained his car at Khumulung, the head quarter of the Tripura Tribal Areas Autonomous District Council and burnt down his car. IPFT denied their involvement in the incident.

Police failed to make any headway in detecting the driver during last two weeks but arrested Balendra after the BJP state president Biplab Deb visited the house of Jivan Debth on October 2 and threatened to launch statewide agitation if he could not rescued within 24 hours.  Meanwhile, a delegation of the BJP led by its president Biplab Deb and vice-president Subal Bhowmik on Wednesday met the Director General of Police (DGP) and sought his immediate intervention to trace the missing driver.