Guwahati, Oct 26 (PTI) The alleged attack on a Bihu troupe during a Durga Puja idol immersion procession in Assam’s Sribhumi district last week stemmed from a drunken brawl, with no communal angle involved, a senior police officer said on Monday.
Seventeen people have been arrested so far in connection with the incident, which occurred on October 23, while police are examining video footage to identify all those involved, Sribhumi SSP Leena Doley said.
“It was festival time, and some people were under the influence of alcohol. As per our investigation, an argument broke out involving some people in an inebriated condition and escalated into violence,” she told reporters.
“There was no communal or Bengali-versus-Assamese angle involved. If Bengalis were against Assamese people, they would not have invited the Bihu performers in the first place. A tribute was also paid to singer Zubeen Garg at the same event earlier that evening,” she added.
Doley said everyone in the area was living in peace and harmony, and the situation was now normal.
“Eight members of the Bihu troupe and two police personnel deployed in the area were injured. All of them are in stable condition,” she said.
Additional police forces were rushed to the area, and 13 people were apprehended on the evening of the incident, Doley said.
“A case was registered, and they were forwarded to the court. However, due to some technical issue, they managed to get bail. We will apply for cancellation of their bail,” she said.
Four more people have been arrested since Sunday night, while efforts to identify all involved are continuing with the help of video footage, she said.
“The investigation is proceeding as per law and procedure, and we are trying to ensure that the charge-sheet is filed within 30 days,” Doley said.
She said the All Assam Students’ Union and other organisations, which took out a protest rally in the town on Monday, had submitted memorandums to her and the district administration over the incident.
Chief Minister Himanta Biswa Sarma had on Sunday directed the DGP to take immediate action against those responsible for the alleged attack, asserting that any insult to the state’s culture and heritage would not be tolerated.
Union minister Sarbananda Sonowal had also expressed concern over the incident, saying that attacks on artistes and hostility towards the state’s heritage were unacceptable. PTI SSG SSG SOM
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