Muslim rickshaw puller in Agartala brutally assaulted, set on fire by Hindutva men
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A Muslim rickshaw puller in Tripura’s capital Agartala narrowly escaped death after being allegedly attacked by a group of unidentified men who assaulted him, buried him halfway in sand and attempted to set him on fire on Thursday.
The survivor, Didar Hossain, a resident of Abhaynagar, told the police that the attack took place around 6.30 pm on January 1 near the Gangail Nivedita Club area, when four to five unknown persons intercepted him and launched a violent assault. He later submitted a written complaint at the Durga Chowmuhani Outpost.
According to Hossain’s complaint, the attackers overpowered him, pushed him into a heap of sand and attempted to burn him alive, indicating a clear intent to kill. He said he suffered serious physical and psychological injuries and survived only because the assailants fled after hearing his cries. He is currently undergoing medical treatment, Maktoob Media reported.
A local resident, Habib Ur Rahman, told Maktoob that the attack appeared to have been triggered after the assailants asked Hossain his name. Rahman said the attackers allegedly invoked incidents of violence against minorities in Bangladesh and questioned Hossain about them, adding that Hossain had asked why he was being targeted.
Hossain described the incident in his complaint as a “heinous, serious and non-bailable offence”. Acting on the complaint, the police registered a case against unknown persons under relevant provisions of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS), including Section 109 (attempt to murder), Section 115(2) (causing grievous hurt), and Section 326 (arson or attempt to cause death by fire).
The incident sparked public outrage in Agartala, with residents staging a protest march demanding the immediate arrest of those responsible and strict action against them. Congress MLA Sudip Roy Barman and TIPRA Motha leader Shah Alam participated in and led the demonstration.
Shah Alam told Maktoob that, apart from registering the case, the police had so far failed to take any meaningful action, adding that such inaction was common in cases involving minorities.