Rumours claim two lives in Tripura

After frequent reports of fatal mob attacks, another report of a person being beaten to death has shocked Tripura on Thursday. The incident has taken place in Kalachera under Subroom sub-division in the extreme south bordering Bangladesh.

It was in the afternoon when two persons, who were alerting people about rumour mongering on behalf of the district administration through loudspeakers, had been suddenly attacked by a violent mob in Kalacherra area of Sabroom, killing the announcer, Sukanta Chakraborty of Manikghar and severely injuring the driver of the vehicle.

In another incident on Thursday, a person had been fatally attacked while three others had been injured by a mob suspecting them to be child abductors in Tripura's Urabari area.

The deceased had been identified as Zahir Khan from Uttar Pradesh, who had been engaged in retailing of crockery and garments in remote markets of Tripura for the last 20 years.

The incident took place in the morning when three of them reached Urabari in a car, and a mob comprising of more than 300 people had attacked the trio after they mistook them to be child-traffickers.

On receiving information, troopers from a nearby Tripura State Rifles camp rushing to the spot to rescue them but had been overpowered by the mob. Later, an additional force had been called and Police had to resort to tear gas shells, lathi-charge, and fire in the air to control the fuming mob.

One of the injured identified as Swapan Mia said that there were around 300 to 400 people who attacked us. They suspected us to be child abductors in reference to the Mohanpur incident. I showed them my driving license, Aadhar and identity card but they still attacked us.

As a precaution, internet services remain suspended in Tripura for 48 hours to stop circulation of rumours through social media.