Agartala, Nov 6: Till date eighteen people have been arrested in connection with the November 2 attack on three Border Security Force (BSF) personnel at Ashabari in Tripura’s Sepahijala district, Chief Minister Dr Manik Saha said, directing the authorities to take stringent legal action against those involved and adopt a zero-tolerance approach towards cross-border smuggling.
The arrests include 10 people apprehended in the initial phase and eight others arrested subsequently on Thursday, taking the total number of arrests to 18.
Dr Saha, who also holds the Home portfolio, issued the directions while chairing a high-level meeting to review the state’s overall law and order situation at the TIFT Conference Hall in Agartala on Thursday.
Senior officials of the state administration, police, BSF, Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF) and Assam Rifles attended the meeting, where the Ashabari incident, border security arrangements and smuggling activities along the international boundary were discussed.
The Chief Minister said the authorities had been directed to ensure strict legal action against everyone involved in the attack and that no one responsible would be spared.
He stressed that organised smuggling networks operating in certain border areas for a considerable period must be dismantled through sustained enforcement measures.
Emphasising the need to prevent cross-border illegal activities, Saha directed the concerned agencies to strengthen security arrangements, intensify operations against smuggling networks and improve coordination among the security forces.
The November 2 incident occurred near the Ashabari border outpost in Boxanagar when BSF personnel were allegedly attacked by a group of villagers following the detention of a person suspected of involvement in smuggling. Three BSF personnel, including an assistant commandant, were injured in the incident.
The BSF vehicle was also allegedly vandalised during the attack.
The Chief Minister reiterated that the state government would not compromise on law and order and that stringent action would be taken against those involved in attacks on security personnel and illegal activities along the international border.
