Four Tripura men held in Assam for extortion

The Assam Police has arrested four Tripura residents for allegedly extorting money from truckers at Churaibari area of the neighbouring state, around 182km from here.

Churaibari area, spread across Tripura and Assam, connects the two states via National Highway-8.

North Tripura Superintendent of Police Bhanupada Chakraborty said the four accused had been reportedly extorting money from trucks over the past few days.

"I have come to know that these four men have been accused of extorting money from highways trucks on earlier occasions too. The Assam Police, acting on a tip-off, arrested them Thursday morning," Chakraborty said.

The SP also said that the family members of the four accused have filed a counter complaint in Tripura, stating that they were innocent.

"They family members have lodged a complaint at Churaibari police station in North Tripura claiming that the four accused were on their way to Silchar in Assam for medical treatment when they were arrested," Chakraborty said.

The complaint has been forwarded to the Assam Police, he added.

Goutam Das, the officer in-charge of Bazaricherra police station in Karimganj district of Assam, said the four men will be produced before Karimganj District Court.