30 Tripura policemen injured in attack by tribal party activists

Over 30 policemen were injured in Tripura on Tuesday when activists of a tribal party attacked them, alleging a woman has been abducted, the police said.

The woman was later found at her father's house, a police officer said.

Hundreds of activists of the Indigenous People's Front of Tripura (IPFT) attacked the security personnel with stones and sticks at Bodhjungnagar, 20 km from here, West Tripura District Police chief Abhijit Saptarshi told IANS.

"The IPFT people damaged government properties and attacked Bodhjungnagar police station and TSR (Tripura State Rifles) camp."

"They were claiming that a young tribal woman was kidnapped," Saptarshi said, adding that the woman was found in Raishabari in northern Tripura's Dhalai district.

Saptarshi, who was also injured in the stone pelting, said the agitating mobs also damaged transformers and other assets.

He said that among the injured were police, TSR, Central Reserve Police Force personnel and senior security officials.

The police resorted to mild lathicharge and brust tear-gas cells to disperse the mob. Orders prohibiting any gathering of five or more people under Section 144 of the CrPC have been imposed in the area.

Huge contingents of paramilitary and state security forces have been deployed in the tension ridden Bodhjungnagar industrial area and surrounding places.

The IPFT, a tribal based party, earlier blocked the National Highway-8, the lifeline of Tripura, and the lone railway line in the state for more than 10 days from July 10, demanding statehood for the tribals, causing acute shortage of essential items.

--IANS

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