Agartala: Authorities in Tripura have imposed prohibitory orders in Bishramganj and nearby areas of Sepahijala district following two related incidents—a reported molestation of a tribal girl and subsequent retaliatory attacks on buses that left at least six people injured, police said on Wednesday.
Chief Minister Manik Saha condemned both the alleged molestation and the mob violence, urging calm and vowing that “the law will take its own course.”
“Prohibitory orders have been enforced in Bishramganj to maintain peace and prevent escalation. It’s unwise to politicise or communalise such incidents. Police responded swiftly, and the truth will emerge through proper investigation,” Saha told reporters.
The unrest began Tuesday evening when a tribal girl, who is pursuing an air hostess course in Guwahati and was returning to Bishramganj from Agartala by bus, accused a fellow passenger of molesting her near Bishalgarh.
“The girl deboarded the bus at Bishalgarh and informed her parents. Shortly after she arrived in Bishramganj, a group of youth intercepted the bus and assaulted the passengers. The attackers also damaged the vehicle, creating panic in the area,” said Ajit Debbarma, Officer-in-Charge of Bishramganj police station.
In the violence that followed, five buses were reportedly attacked, and several passengers were injured.
Police confirmed registering two FIRs—one relating to the molestation complaint and another regarding the mob assault. No arrests have been made yet.
Political leaders have responded with concern. Tipra Motha Party chief Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma described the situation as “alarming” and stressed the need for restraint.
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“This is not about tribal or non-tribal identity. It’s about a woman’s dignity being violated, and that deserves universal condemnation,” he wrote in a Facebook post.
“However, taking the law into one’s own hands is unacceptable.”
He added that he had spoken personally with the victim and her mother, and also with the state’s Director General of Police, who assured that justice would be pursued.
“I appeal for peace. Violence is never a solution—it only deepens divisions,” he said.
