300 flee in West Tripura after clash over molestation
Agartala, Oct 19: Around 300 people of 61 families have fled and at least one house was torched in a clash between two communities in West Tripura district over alleged molestation of a tribal girl, police said Friday.
The four alleged molesters were arrested, they said.
According to the police, the girl, along with her boyfriend, had come to Ranirbazar area Thursday from a nearby locality to see Durga idols there and four youths allegedly molested her and snatched her mobile phone.
"The two (girl, boy) went back to their locality and then returned with a large group of people who tried to attack the houses of those who reportedly molested the girl," Sub-divisional Police Officer (SDPO) B B Das said.
After the incident, panic gripped the Ranirbazar area, which is around 15 km from here, the SDPO said.
The clash continued on Friday and, on receipt of the information, state minister and Indigenous People's Front Tripura (IPFT) leader N C Debbarma rushed to the spot to pacify the situation.
"The situation, however, could not be controlled immediately. The raiders attempted to burn houses and succeed to torch one house today. Following this, around 300 members of 61 families fled. About 100 of them are now camping near Ranirbazar police station," the SDPO said.
District administration provided them food.
Das said a large contingent of police led by district Superintendent of Police Ajit Pratap Singh is camping in the area and the situation is now under control.
Leader of the opposition Manik Sarkar spoke to Chief Secretary L K Gupta and urged him to tighten the security of the panic stricken people, besides providing them food and shelter, Opposition CPI(M) spokesman Pabitra Kar said.
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Another North Goa nightclub sealed; Kejriwal says corruption led to fire tragedy
Panaji (PTI): As part of a crackdown against tourist establishments violating laws and safety norms in the aftermath of the Arpora fire tragedy, Goa authorities on Saturday sealed a renowned club at Vagator and revoked the fire department NOC of another club.
Cafe CO2 Goa, located on a cliff overlooking the Arabian Sea at Vagator beach in North Goa, was sealed. The move came two days after Goya Club, also in Vagator, was shut down for alleged violations of rules.
Elsewhere, campaigning for local body polls, AAP leader Arvind Kejriwal said the fire incident at Birch by Romeo Lane nightclub at Arpora, which claimed 25 lives on December 6, happened because the BJP government in the state was corrupt.
An inspection of Cafe CO2 Goa by a state government-appointed team revealed that the establishment, with a seating capacity of 250, did not possess a no-objection certificate (NOC) of the Fire and Emergency Services Department. The club, which sits atop Ozrant Cliff, also did not have structural stability, the team found.
The Fire and Emergency Services on Saturday also revoked the NOC issued to Diaz Pool Club and Bar at Anjuna as the fire extinguishers installed in the establishment were found to be inadequate, said divisional fire officer Shripad Gawas.
A notice was issued to Nitin Wadhwa, the partner of the club, he said in the order.
Campaigning at Chimbel village near Panaji in support of his party's Zilla Panchayat election candidate, Aam Aadmi Party leader Kejriwal said the nightclub fire at Arpora happened because of the "corruption of the Pramod Sawant-led state government."
"Why this fire incident happened? I read in the newspapers that the nightclub had no occupancy certificate, no building licence, no excise licence, no construction licence or trade licence. The entire club was illegal but still it was going on," he said.
"How could it go on? Couldn't Pramod Sawant or anyone else see it? I was told that hafta (bribe) was being paid," the former Delhi chief minister said.
A person can not work without bribing officials in the coastal state, Kejriwal said, alleging that officers, MLAs and even ministers are accepting bribes.
