"We were tortured by Police," MP Rajdeep Roy's nominee Pulak Das; Silchar MLA interevened to broker peace at Bisarjan Ghat

Immersed in Bisarjan vibes, as the night grew longer problems surfaced in various parts of Silchar. Devdoot point was one such junction where procession of one Puja Committee engaged in a duel with another committee resulting in a conflict. However, the biggest mishap took place at Bisarjan Ghat when ‘Shyamananda Lane Durga Puja Committee’ reached with their sets of idols. The committee was slotted as 33 in the list issued by the Cachar District Administration and was supposed to immerse idols between 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. 33rd from 7:00 am to be precise.

The Police officials restricted entry to the Bisarjan Ghat in Silchar’s Sadarghat. Only a few volunteers of each Puja Committee were allowed inside the ghat premises for security and safety purposes. When the security personnel stopped the Shyamananda Lane Puja Committee members, and said only a few can enter and not everyone, that irked the committee members. “We are MP’s people,” they said. “I am not,” replied a Police official. The volunteers tried to force their way through to the ghat and that is when the Police officials retaliated. In the retaliation, the officials resorted to Lathi charge.

“The way the Police officials behaved with us is unacceptable,” said Pulak Das. “I told them, I am representing here as the nominee of the member of parliament Dr. Rajdeep Roy, yet they did not listen to us but instead physically assaulted us. We condemn the act unleashed by the Police officials,” said Pulak Das.

He said, “We have been organising Durga Puja for the last 31 years and this is the 32nd occassion we have come to immerse the idols. Never we have faced a Police assault of this sort. We have followed all COVID protocols and yet we were subjected to Police torture which we protest.” He wasn’t wearing a mask and the incident happened at around 9:45 pm. As per the district administration’s slot distribution, this committee was 33rd between 7:00 am to 9:00 pm. So, when he says “following all Covid protocols” it is a bit of exaggeration.

As the tension rose, Silchar MLA Dipayan Chakraborty intervened. He rushed to the Bisarjan Ghat and spoke with the Police personnel as well as the volunteers. “I have been informed that the Police officials misbehaved with the members of one Puja Committee. I am discussing the matter with senior officials to understand what transpired,” said MLA Dipayan Chakraborty.

Additional SP of Cachar, Partha Protim Das informed Barak Bulletin that everything was peaceful and the Police has not detained anyone for violations of law and order.