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15 held for violence during protest against drive to clear encroachment in Assam’s Chirang
15 arrested in Assam’s Chirang after protest over forest encroachment detentions turns violent; over 20 injured, including police and forest officials.
Police have arrested 15 people in Assam’s Chirang district in connection with a protest that erupted over the detention of 25 locals for alleged forest encroachment turned violent, injuring over 20 people, including 15 police officers and forest department officials
The forest department had detained 25 locals on Thursday during an operation against alleged encroachment in the Runikhata forest range along the India–Bhutan border, following which a mob gathered outside the Runikhata forest range office next morning and staged a protest seeking the release of those detained.
The protesters alleged that the forest department was selectively detaining Adivasi people while allowing other communities to clear forest land in the same area. The also accused forest officials of harassing the detained people, including women, in custody.
Police said the protesters initially attacked on-duty personnel, torched a forest department office and vehicles, and later resorted to stone-pelting.
“In this process, at least 15 police and forest officials sustained injuries, and to control the situation we had to resort to lathi charge and blank firing. several locals were also injured during the lathi charge,” Chirang’s Senior Superintendent of Police (SSP) Dhruba Bora, who was also injured said. He added that protesters had initially snatched some service rifles from forest officials, which were later.
Bora on Saturday said that the arrests were made after identifying those involved in the violence through digital evidence collected from the site.
“The operation was launched after we identified the accused with the help of digital evidence, including videos, pictures and news clips. So far, 15 people have been arrested,” he said, adding that further arrests are likely.
A case was registered on Friday based on a complaint filed by the forest department, and the accused were booked under 11 sections of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS).
“They have been charged with crimes including attempt to murder, dacoity, snatching of arms from the forest office, unlawful assembly, rioting, damage to public property and assault on government personnel, among others,” he said.
The protest, led by local groups, including the All Adivasi Students’ Association (AASAA) and the All Santal Students’ Union (ASSU), began in a peaceful manner, soon turned violent amid rumours of custodial assault, police said, adding that actions are being taken against those who spread false information.
The SSP said the situation is under control and additional forces remain deployed in the district. Soon after the violence, the Assam government suspended mobile internet services in Chirang and Kokrajhar on Friday, and the SSP said the ban continued on Saturday as well.
