Assam-Bengal Border Choked as Truckers Clash with West Bengal Police Over Bribery Allegations

Kokrajhar: A violent clash erupted between commercial truck drivers and the West Bengal Police at Pakriguri, near the Srirampur check gate along the high-traffic Assam-West Bengal border. The violent confrontation, triggered by simmering allegations of systemic police extortion, left several drivers injured and brought traffic to a complete standstill on National Highway 27 (NH-27) for hours.

According to local sources, the trouble began when drivers vociferously protested against alleged routine bribery demands, unfair "overload" payment charges, and illegal tax collections enforced by check gate personnel. When drivers flatly refused to comply with the illegal fees, the argument quickly deteriorated into physical violence.

Protesting truckers swiftly retaliated by staging a massive highway blockade, using hundreds of heavy vehicles to choke the crucial transit corridor near the Telipara toll area and Srirampur check gate. This critical intersection serves as the primary supply lifeline connecting the northeastern states to the rest of mainland India.

"We are subjected to constant harassment and forced illegal collections at this border every single day," stated an aggrieved truck driver stranded at the blockade. "When we finally stood up against this open bribery, we were brutally assaulted. We will not move our vehicles until senior officials assure us of safety and an absolute end to this corruption."

The hours-long gridlock left hundreds of commercial vehicles, including emergency supplies and perishables, stranded in miles of tailbacks.

Senior police and administrative officials from both states subsequently rushed to the scene to pacify the enraged drivers. While partial traffic movement has since been restored following administrative intervention, tensions remain high at the border, and a formal probe has been initiated into the extortion and assault allegations.