On Sunday (25th August) morning, an idol of Goddess Kali was found beheaded in Katraibari village in Ranirbazar area of Tripura.
The incident sparked communal tension in the area over the desecration of the 30-year-old temple. Later on Sunday night, a group of unidentified individuals set fire to houses and vehicles in anger thereby creating more unrest.
As per reports, 9 houses were set ablaze while 4-5 homes were vandalised and ransacked in Katraibari, Durga Nagar, and Astha Mangal villages. More than 11 four-wheelers and two-wheelers were also burnt to ashes. A total of 5-6 people sustained mild injuries.
A team of fire brigade tenders, senior police officials, emergency services, Central Reserved Police Force (CRPF) and Tripura State Rifles (TSR) were deployed to the crime scene to prevent any untoward incident or further escalation.
Reportedly, an arbitration meeting was conducted during the daytime by elders belonging to all communities. However, it failed to contain the anger and resentment caused due to the desecration of the 30-year-old temple.
In the meantime, the idol has been covered and a peace meeting has been scheduled for Monday (26th August). According to reports, the attackers were not locals but outsiders.
A suo moto case has been registered in connection to the incident and a probe has been initiated into the matter. In the meantime, the local administration has imposed a 48-hour curfew under Section 163 of the Bharatiya Nagarik Suraksha Sanhita (BNSS).
Additional Director General Anurag Dhankar and BJP Minister Sushanta Chowdhury visited the Ranirbazar area on Sunday to assess the severity of the situation and call for peace.
