BY TC News Desk
Agartala, 25th February 2026: A massive fire broke out late Tuesday night at a rubber plantation owned by BJP leader Sandeep Kurmi in Murthischhara Gram Panchayat’s Ward No. 2, triggering widespread alarm in the border area.
According to allegations, miscreants set fire to nearly 100 kani (approximately 40 hectares) of Kurmi’s plantation. Kurmi, an active member of the BJP’s Chandipur Mandal and former vice-chairman of the Chandipur Panchayat Samiti, claimed the attack was deliberate and orchestrated by criminals from across the Bangladesh border.
Kurmi stated that the plantation lies adjacent to the international border, separated only by barbed wire fencing and dense forest. He alleged that cross-border groups, frustrated by recent crackdowns on smuggling and infiltration, first ignited forest patches on both sides of the border before targeting his plantation. “There is no civilian movement in this area, only BSF patrols. This fire could only have been set by miscreants crossing over,” he said.
On receiving news of the blaze, Kurmi rushed to the site and alerted the Kailashahar Fire Department. Firefighters battled the flames through the night, but the intensity was so severe that fires continued to burn in scattered areas until Wednesday afternoon. The plantation, comprising nearly 10,000 rubber trees, suffered extensive damage. Kurmi estimated losses worth several lakhs of rupees and announced plans to file a written complaint with Kailashahar police.
The incident has left residents of the border region shaken. With such a large-scale fire breaking out near the international boundary, locals are anxiously awaiting the administration’s response and investigation into the matter.
