Guwahati: The Dispur Police on Thursday arrested four men in connection with a protest that erupted near the Silsako wetland eviction site on Wednesday evening. The arrested individuals — Lalon Roy, Chamet Ali, Chan Mohammad Kurchi Alam, and Phulbor Ali — were booked under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS), which restricts gatherings or protests of five or more people without prior permission.
According to police sources, the four are likely to be produced before a magistrate soon. Meanwhile, families of the detained men and several women evictees have launched a sit-in outside Dispur Police Station, demanding their immediate release. Protesters alleged that police action was excessive and that the men were only staging a peaceful demonstration for rehabilitation and compensation.
The arrests came after evictees gathered at Silsako seeking resettlement following the demolition of their homes. A brief scuffle reportedly broke out when police intervened, leading to the detention of 18 people, including 14 women, who were later released from Panbazar Police Station.
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Displaced residents of Silsako have been staging repeated protests for the past four years, demanding adequate compensation and rehabilitation since the 2021 eviction drive under the wetlands-clearing project that displaced around 1,200 households.
Despite submitting multiple memorandums to the state government, residents allege they have received only assurances and no concrete action so far.
