Six people injured in clashes with police in Assam’s Silchar

Assam police are trying to ascertain the cause of the build-up and have detained 15 people who are likely to be arrested. The Kalibar Char area has been on the edge since June 2017 after a local Hindu girl eloped with a Muslim boy, leading to clashes.

At least six people, including three policemen, were injured when an agitated mob clashed with police in Silchar town of Assam on Thursday.

A police official also said there were rumours of someone urinating on the wall of a local mosque, and another rumour of vandalism in a mosque, that could have led to the build-up of violence in Silchar.(Shutterstock/Representative image)

This is the third incident of violence since Sunday after which prohibitory orders were imposed in some areas of Silchar, which falls under Cachar district in southern Assam.

Police are trying to ascertain the cause of the build-up and have detained 15 people who are likely to be arrested.

Cachar ASP, Rakesh Reddy said the police were tipped off about a “communal situation” building up around Kalibari Char area, a lower middle class neighbourhood which has been on the boil since Sunday.

Reddy said police came under attack at the spot by a 200-strong mob of a particular community which was armed with stones and iron rods.

According to police, as more reinforcements were called in, the mob clashed with the police. “We had to resort to lathicharge. Tear gas shells were also fired,” Reddy said, adding that 3-4 policemen sustained injuries, including one who fractured his arm. Three to four people from the locality also suffered injuries in the clashes.

Section 144 has been imposed in Kalibari Char and other adjoining areas of the city, even as the police and CRPF have increased patrolling.

Reddy said the police not yet clear about the provocation of the last night’s clashes.

“It could be because of stone pelting, it could be because of the pent up anger and aggression against the Sunday night incident where there was stone-pelting and clashes between both communities,” he said.

Members of the minority community were mostly injured in the Sunday night stone-pelting, according to reports.

Another police official explained how there were rumours on Thursday, of someone urinating on the wall of a local mosque, and another rumour of vandalism in a mosque, that could have led to the build-up.

On Thursday, Cachar Police warned locals to not post “false news and unwanted message and photo on social media”. If anybody is found doing such things, then the police will take strict action as per law, it said in a post on its Facebook page.

The Kalibar Char area has been on the edge since June 2017 after a local Hindu girl eloped with a Muslim boy, leading to clashes.

Earlier this week, there were communal clashes on Sunday as both groups pelted stones at each other. On Monday night, an auto-rickshaw was set on fire. Five arrests were made, including two members of the Bajrang Dal, Rajat Nath and Rahul Nath, who were apprehended for their role in burning the auto-rickshaw.