Tripura CM assures punishment for Madhabbari firing offenders

Agartala, Jan. 19 (PTI): Eleven days after police fired on Citizenship Amendment Bill protesters at Madhabbari in West Tripura, Chief Minister Biplab Kumar Deb on
Saturday paid a visit to the area and assured to punish the offenders.
“No one would go unpunished if found guilty. We have ordered a magisterial enquiry into the incident and asked to identify the offenders,” Deb told reporters.
A Tripura State Rifles (TSR) personnel and six members of Twipra Student Federation (TSF), who were protesting against the controversial bill, were injured when police opened fire and resorted to lathicharge to disperse the gathering on January 8.
The protesters alleged that the security force personnel also vandalised an ambulance, when it was carrying patients to hospital besides damaging a statue of Tripuras last king Bir Bikram Kishore Manikya Bahadur in the area.

The police had said that the protesters damaged many shops in the area during the agitation.
Deb announced that his government would send cheques of Rs 1 lakh each to families of those hospitalised with bullet injuries during the police action and take responsibility for all hospital and treatment costs.
The local administration has already paid an immediate relief of up to Rs 10,000 to shop owners whose property were damaged during the protests.

“The local administration has given an immediate relief. I am promising that Rs 50,000 will be given to each of them. In cases where higher losses were incurred, we shall stand with necessary help, Deb said.
The Tripura king’s statues crest was damaged by bullets and its left wrist was found broken.

The statue was found covered in black tarpaulin and surrounded by black flags today.
Deb said the government would pay for repairing the statue.
Tribal welfare minister Mevar Kumar Jamatia and local MLA Sushanta Choudhury joined Deb during his visit. On Monday, former Chief Minister Manik Sarkar visited the violence-ht areas of Madhabbari and assured support to the people.