Violence Erupts In Tripura Village After Youth's Death; Internet Suspended, Section 144 Imposed

Protests erupted in Tripura's Gandacherra village following the death of Parameswar Reang, who allegedly succumbed to his injuries sustained during a fight at a local fair.

The death of a youth sparked widespread protests in Gandacherra village in Tripura's Dhalai district on Friday. The victim, Parameswar Reang, reportedly had a quarrel with the locals at the Ananda Mela on July 7. Soon, a fight broke out and Reang had to flee the spot. But he was chased by the other group. Citing witnesses, local media organisation The Tripura Times reported that Reang was even given electric shocks.

Parameshwar Reang was taken to GB Pant Hospital in Agartala but he succumbed to his injuries during treatment. When his body was brought back to his home in the Ganda Twisa sub-division, his family and friends became angry and sought 'justice'. They staged a protest demanding the arrest of those responsible for Reang's death. The protest soon turned violent. Several shops were set on fire as the violence unfolded.

So far four arrests have been made, reported India Today NE. "We have already arrested four individuals, all of whom are now in judicial custody," Dhalai District Magistrate Saju Waheed was quoted as saying by the news website.

"They held a protest and set some small establishments on fire. Some of the shops were gutted in the fire. We have deployed police and paramilitary forces everywhere. We are taking control of the situation. We don’t want it to escalate. The situation is now totally under control," Waheed stated.

To maintain order, the district administration has effected heavy deployment of forces on the ground.

The District Magistrate also noted that social media played a significant role in fuelling the unrest: "Certain messages sent via social media instigated the people. However, no other incident has taken place. Sensing that the law and order situation might deteriorate, we declared Section 144 in the Gonda Twisa sub-division. Although some protests occurred at night, everything is normal now."

Currently, internet access has been suspended in Gandacherra for the next 24 hours.

Local sources indicate that the imposition of Section 144, which prohibits the assembly of more than four people in an area, aims to prevent further clashes and maintain peace in the region.