BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 3rd March 2026: An attempted theft of an electric rickshaw battery turned violent in Tripura’s North District, leaving two police officers, three TSR jawans, and the accused thief injured after clashes with enraged villagers. The incident took place late Monday night in Patyekrai village under Kadamtala police station.
According to local sources, around 10:45 p.m. two miscreants tried to steal the battery from a battery-operated tomtom parked outside the house of resident Suman Debnath. His son, Alok Debnath, raised an alarm, drawing nearby residents. While one thief managed to escape, the other—identified as Kabir Hossain (28), son of late Hekim Ali of Churaibari’s North Fulbari area—was caught red-handed by villagers.
Police from Kadamtala station soon arrived to take the accused into custody. However, angry locals resisted, alleging that repeated complaints about battery thefts had gone unanswered by authorities. Tensions escalated as villagers demanded the thief be handed over to them instead of the police.
The confrontation quickly spiraled out of control. Villagers allegedly attacked both the police and the accused thief. Sub-Inspector Sanjib Sarkar sustained a head injury and was admitted to hospital in a bloodied condition. Assistant Sub-Inspector Jagdananda Goswami was also injured.
Three jawans of the 13th TSR Battalion—Nipendra Riang, Asit Lal Das, and Tanu Singh Tripura—were hurt in the clash. The accused thief, Kabir Hossain, was critically injured and later shifted from Kadamtala Social Hospital to North Tripura District Hospital for treatment.
The incident triggered widespread panic in the area. Additional police and TSR forces were deployed to restore order. Dharmanagar Sub-Divisional Police Officer Jayanta Karmakar rushed to the site and visited the hospital.
Police have since arrested three locals—Alok Debnath, Rahul Debnath, and Suman Debnath—on charges of assaulting law enforcement officers. Kadamtala Officer-in-Charge Gurupada Debnath confirmed that a case has been registered and multiple individuals are under investigation. He assured that strict legal action will be taken against those responsible.
