Agartala, April 16: Tension gripped Ambassa subdivision in Tripura after a mob vandalised the office of the Tripura State Electricity Corporation Limited (TSECL) and injured a police officer late on April 15, following an incident in which a minor girl was electrocuted by a fallen high-voltage wire.
The unrest was triggered after a live electric wire snapped and fell on a house in the Ambassa market area, injuring a 13-year-old girl identified as Monti Modak. She reportedly came into contact with the wire while playing on the rooftop and was rushed to hospital for treatment.
According to police, the incident led to public outrage, with a large crowd gathering at the site and attempting to block a nearby highway. As tensions escalated, the crowd marched towards the TSECL office and forced entry into the premises, damaging vehicles, office furniture, and staff quarters.
Police personnel, led by Officer-in-Charge Nandan Das, attempted to control the situation, but were overwhelmed as the mob broke open the gates and turned violent. During the clash, Das sustained injuries after being assaulted by unidentified individuals and was later admitted to hospital.
In the aftermath, the Sub-Divisional Magistrate issued a show-cause notice to TSECL officials, including the Deputy General Manager and Senior Manager of the Ambassa division, citing negligence and failure to comply with earlier directives issued under the Disaster Management Act, 2005.
The notice pointed out that a similar incident had occurred earlier this month and that officials had been instructed to remain alert and ensure preventive measures. However, it alleged that the concerned officers were absent from their stations at the time of the latest incident, raising serious concerns over public safety and disaster preparedness.
Authorities have warned that failure to respond satisfactorily within three days could invite action under Section 56 of the Act, which deals with dereliction of duty by officials.
Police have registered a case in connection with the violence and launched an investigation to identify those involved in the vandalism and assault.
