Eight people have been arrested following an attack on Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at Ashabari in Tripura’s Sepahijala district, Chief Minister Manik Saha said on Tuesday. Police have registered a case against 19 people in connection with the incident.
In a Facebook post, Saha assured that all those involved would be brought to justice and warned that violence against security personnel would not be tolerated.
The incident occurred on Monday morning near Ashabari Gram Panchayat following an alleged altercation between villagers and BSF personnel of the 49th Battalion stationed at Ashabari Border Outpost over a suspected smuggling-related issue.
According to preliminary reports, a BSF jawan allegedly struck a local resident, identified as Hefzur Rahman, with a lathi, triggering anger among villagers. Agitated residents subsequently blocked the Boxanagar–Rahimpur road, disrupting traffic.
Assistant Commandant Rohit Kumar of Rahimpur BOP and other BSF personnel were reportedly attacked by the crowd, while their vehicle was allegedly vandalised. The situation escalated after additional BSF personnel arrived at the scene, resulting in a clash with local residents.
Assistant Commandant Kumar and three others sustained injuries and were initially taken to Boxanagar Primary Health Centre for treatment.
Police said the situation had since returned to normal, while further investigation into the incident was underway.
