Agartala: Mar 19: On Wednesday afternoon, a tense situation unfolded in Kailashahar’s Western Market area, when an unidentified individual or group set a motorcycle on fire in front of the Water Resources Executive Engineer’s office. The incident led to panic, with office staff locking themselves inside the premises for safety. As two opposing groups clashed in the vicinity, police were dispatched to control the situation, eventually dispersing both groups after about an hour. The area was secured by a heavy presence of police, TSR, and paramilitary personnel, under the leadership of the Sub-Divisional Police Officer.
The incident is believed to be linked to a construction project worth approximately ₹3.5 crores in the Jalai area, awarded to D.N. Construction, which is being executed by two young men from the northern part of Kailashahar. Over the past five days, local youths from the Chandipur region had been stationed at the office to prevent the contractors from collecting the work order. However, the contractors eventually managed to secure the work order, only to find that the Executive Engineer was on leave and the SDO was unwell when they arrived at the office to begin the project.
Upon arriving at the office on Wednesday, the contractors noticed the burning motorcycle and the presence of a crowd of young men. Allegations surfaced, with local youths from Chandipur claiming that the individuals awarded the contract had set the motorcycle on fire. Both groups accused each other, but no definitive evidence emerged to confirm who was responsible. Firefighters quickly extinguished the blaze, and the police seized the motorcycle for further investigation.
The situation remains unstable, with ongoing disputes over the contract work. If the administration fails to address these tensions promptly, there are concerns that the unrest could escalate further. This follows a prior incident where miscreants had vandalized the Executive Engineer’s office.