The Silchar-Aizawl NH 306 was blocked on Tuesday by residents of the Dholai area in Cachar district following the death of a truck driver in Mizoram.
Locals alleged that the driver, from Dholai, was murdered brutally in Mizoram and the truck’s co-driver was illegally detained by Mizoram Police.
On Monday, the dead body of one Praveen Singh, who went to Mizoram two days ago, was handed over to his family. The body had multiple injuries, and the locals saw this as cold-blooded murder of the Assam man by Mizoram miscreants. Praveen was a resident of Ramprasadpur under Dholai Police station in Cachar district.
The co-driver of the truck, Nripen Singh, has been detained by the Mizoram Police as an accused in the case and has been forwarded to judicial custody.
Hundreds of men and women from various Manipuri organisations of Dholai Ramprasadpur, on Tuesday, laid siege to the NH-306. They staged a blockade by placing Singh’s body on the road. Vehicular movement was also impacted due to the hours-long demonstration.
On being informed, Dholai Circle officer and senior police officials rushed to the spot and tried to pacify the irate villagers but to no avail.
The local organisation demanded that Nripen Singh be rescued unharmed within the next 24 hours and the family of the deceased driver be given adequate compensation by the Mizoram government. “We will continue to sit-in-protest until we are given a concrete assurance. We want justice for the bereaved family,” said a protesting local.
However, Cachar SP Ramandeep Kaur said the case is related to personal enmity. “There was hostility between the two, which resulted in the murder of the driver. The accused co-driver has confessed to the Mizoram Police. But people here are stuck on a different story. We are trying to convince them. We have sent the body for re-autopsy and find out the exact reason,” SP Ramandeep Kaur said.
When asked if Assam Police would take custody of the accused, the senior officer said once the judicial custody ends, they would follow the due procedure. “We are registering a case” she added.
As per the latest information, the locals have withdrawn the protest and vacated the demonstration site.
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