Mobile theft of fire service personnel sparks trouble, fire station gheraoed; police resorts to lathi charge

August 29: Some miscreants lay seize to the fire service station at Basic Road in Hailakandi town on Saturday at around 10.30 am and pelted stones at the police and security personnel over a theft incident of a mobile and cash of a fire personnel. Rahimuddin Barbhuiya, ‘a drug addict and convicted criminal’ was caught by public and fire brigade personnel and handed over to the police after he stole a mobile and cash amounting to Rs.25,000 from a fire personnel at the fire service station on Thursday.

The police obtained a bond before letting him go. His whereabouts is not known. As rumours spread that the alleged thief had died at SMC&H following third degree treatment meted out to him by fire brigade personnel, a fact that could not be verified by the administration, tensions exacerbated with miscreants instigating some local people to gherao the fire station and started pelting stones. As things started drifting out of control and was snowballing into a law and order problem, police and security personnel resorted to tear gas shell and mild lathicharge to disperse the agitated crowd. Some police and security personnel, including Additional SP, Kulendra Nath Deka sustained injuries when stones were hurled by the irate crowd.

Circle Officer, Tridip Roy and other civil and police officials were present when the incident took place. Fire Station Officer, Albert I Khobung denied that fire personnel were involved in beating the thief black and blue and said no external injury was found by doctors during medical examination. Khobung said some miscreants instigated some local people to create law and order problem and are at work to malign the image of the fire personnel. The Fire Station Officer disclosed that the accused Barbhuiya is a drug addict with criminal records and has been disowned by his family for anti-social activities.

Khobung said that an FIR would be filed over the incident that took place in front of the fire service station. Additional SP, Deka revealed that four fire service personnel have been picked up for interrogation. Investigation is on to find out those behind the incident and to trace the whereabouts of Barbhuiya.