Sidhai:Widespread tension gripped Hejamara Baluachhara under Sidhai Police Station after a long-standing jhum land dispute escalated into a firing incident, with locals alleging that police inaction allowed the situation to spiral out of control.
According to residents, the Deb Barma family had earlier lodged a complaint at Sidhai Police Station regarding the forcible occupation of their jhum land, but no action was taken by the authorities. With the dispute left unresolved, tensions flared further, culminating in six rounds of gunfire being fired in the area. However, both the pistol used and the shooter remain untraced.
In a mysterious turn of events, a counter-case was subsequently filed at the police station. Following this, police reportedly acted swiftly — raiding the homes of the original complainants and arresting four people, including a woman, based on the counter-complaint. From the other side, only one person was arrested, while the alleged shooter continues to evade arrest.
Angered by what they called a one-sided police response, residents of Baluachhara staged a sit-in protest at Sidhai Police Station that continued till late into the night. Speaking to the media, the protesters demanded the immediate arrest of the shooter and others involved in the firing.
They further warned that if the accused are not arrested soon and those they claim were wrongfully detained are not released, they would block the Agartala-Khowai National Highway in protest. The situation in the area remains tense, with police yet to make further arrests.