‘Release Innocent Bengalis’: Families Stage Protest in Sribhumi Over Arrests After Bihu Troupe Assault

Families of people arrested in connection with the alleged assault on a Bihu troupe in Sribhumi staged a protest at AOC Point on Tuesday, demanding justice for those they claim have been wrongfully detained. Holding placards calling for an end to the alleged harassment of innocent Bengalis, the protesters urged the authorities to ensure that only those responsible for the violence face legal consequences.

The protesters alleged that innocent people had been detained following Assam Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma’s intervention in the case. While they maintained that those responsible for the alleged assault on the Bihu performers must be punished, they questioned the detention of people who, according to their families, had no involvement in the incident.

A local resident, Kumarjit Dutta, said the Chief Minister had reacted hastily by describing the incident as an attack on Bihu. He said, “We also want that those who are responsible behind the attack on the Bihu troupe be punished, but unfortunately, it has become such that Bengalis everywhere in Assam are being tortured.”

Dutta alleged that violence had taken place from both sides during the original confrontation, but claimed that only Bengalis had been arrested and that the incident had been given a communal angle. He said the community respected Bihu and called for everyone involved in the violence to face the consequences, while ensuring that innocent people were not made to suffer.

The mother of Priyangshu Paul, a district-level cricketer, also questioned her son’s arrest. She alleged that he had no connection with Hindustan Club, which organised the cultural programme during the Durga idol immersion. According to her, Priyangshu had gone to collect medicines for her, as she is suffering from cancer, before later going out to play cricket that night. She claimed that police personnel subsequently arrived to arrest him.

His mother alleged that when Priyangshu maintained that he was innocent, the police did not heed his explanation and took him to the police station. She further claimed that the family had evidence of his whereabouts at the time of the incident but that he remained in custody.

Another man at the demonstration alleged that a tea-shop owner was detained without reason while returning home late at night after closing his shop. He claimed that the shopkeeper was severely beaten by the police despite having no involvement in the incident and was later released on bail after paying Rs 20,000. The shopkeeper’s wife said the family was now struggling to afford his medical treatment and an X-ray.

Another protester claimed that his brother and sister-in-law faced harassment after travelling from Silchar to Bongaigaon following the incident. He alleged that his brother was physically assaulted and sustained injuries, while his sister-in-law was inappropriately touched.

The protesters also urged the authorities to prevent the incident from being portrayed as a conflict between Assamese and Bengali communities. Some alleged that intoxication contributed to the original confrontation and that violence occurred from both sides. They called for an impartial investigation and demanded that those responsible be punished without innocent people being implicated.

The protest comes amid growing attention surrounding the alleged assault on a Bihu troupe during a cultural programme organised as part of Hindustan Club’s Durga idol immersion in Sribhumi town on 23 October. The incident gained traction on social media on 24 and 25 October. The Chief Minister subsequently condemned the alleged attack and directed the Director General of Police to take immediate action against those responsible.

Earlier, Sribhumi Senior Superintendent of Police Leena Doley ruled out a communal angle, stating that the confrontation involved intoxicated people and that an exchange of remarks escalated into violence. She urged people not to interpret the incident as a conflict between Assamese and Bengali communities. The protesters’ allegations concerning wrongful detention and police misconduct, however, remain to be independently established. The police response to the claims raised during Tuesday’s demonstration will be crucial in determining the next course of action.