Agartala, February 13: An ex-Special Police Officer (SPO) jawan was arrested from the Nandan Nagar area on Friday following allegations of extortion, trespass and criminal intimidation, police said.
The accused, identified as Nabajit Sarkar, was taken into custody after multiple complaints were reportedly received from local residents regarding his alleged activities in the area.
According to police, an FIR was registered against Sarkar on Thursday after he allegedly trespassed into a private property and disrupted ongoing construction work. The house owner alleged that Sarkar unlawfully entered the premises while excavation work for a new house was in progress and demanded Rs 2 lakh as “protection money” to allow the construction to continue.
The complainant claimed that the accused threatened to kill family members if the demand was not met. He further alleged that Sarkar shut down machinery being used for digging trenches and created panic at the site. When the complainant’s father attempted to intervene, the accused allegedly assaulted him before fleeing the scene upon sensing that police had been alerted.
Following the incident, the complainant said he consulted local residents and leaders of the Bharatiya Janata Party before approaching the police to lodge a formal complaint.
Police sources said Sarkar had previously served as an SPO jawan but had left the service several months ago. The complainant also alleged that the accused had been involved in intimidating several land purchasers in the locality and had forced some of them to pay money under threat.
An investigation is underway to verify the allegations and ascertain whether others were similarly targeted, officials added.
