Agartala: A mob torched Muslim properties and desecrated a mosque at the Shimultala area of Unakoti district in Tripura on January 10, making this the newest site of destruction in a state that has seen repeated incidents of communal violence in the past year.
While police remain uncertain whether the violence stemmed from a puja subscription dispute or a traffic altercation, political parties have come forward with their conflicting versions of events.
Speaking to The Wire on Tuesday, January 14, Unakoti Superintendent of Police Avinash Rai mentioned that multiple narratives have emerged on what started the violence.
“There are many account. One group is saying the conflict started from a fundraising drive. Another group says it started from a heated conversation between an e-rickshaw driver and a bike rider. There is also another version – that a local truck driver struck a bike,” Rai stated.
Rai said police are investigating the case. “But it is clear that there was a verbal altercation between people of two communities, which turned into communal violence. As soon as we learned about it, we immediately went there and controlled the situation within half an hour,” he added.
On Friday, January 16, Kumarghat Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) Utpalendu Debnath told The Wire that 13 individuals have been arrested and are now under judicial custody. Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita was withdrawn on the same day.
Addressing the extent of damage, Debnath stated, “Two shops were gutted, and a hay stack at a house’s courtyard was burnt.”
This story was originally published in thewire.in. Read the full story here.