Bethukandi dyke breach: FIR lodged by Irrigation Dept on 23 May while case registered on 21 June

July 4: Cachar Police arrested 3 more persons on Sunday involved in Bethukandi dyke breach incident, which resulted in the devastating flood in Silchar. It needs mention here that one more arrest was made on Saturday. As of now, a total of 4 persons were arrested in this connection. Those arrested were identified as Mithu Hussain Laskar, Nazir Hussain Laskar, Ripon Khan & Kabul Khan.

Elaborating on this incident, Superintendent of Police (SP), Cachar, Ramandeep Kaur on Sunday said, “The Irrigation Department had given us an FIR in connection with Bethukandi dyke, wherein they stated that the dyke was broken, which led to the flooding of entire Silchar town. Today is the 13th day since the augment of flood and still there is water in Silchar town. So, this was the allegation by the Irrigation Department.”

Saying so, the Police Super of Cachar further stated, “During the investigation, we also found certain videos, wherein these guys were sort of confessing that they have done it. Based on that and taking leads, we have still now apprehended four persons. Kabul Khan, Mithu Hussain Laskar, Nazir Hussain Laskar and Ripon Khan. All of them are inhabitants of Bethukandi and we are still interrogating them for further leads. As per the statement of Kabul Khan, who we first arrested, some more people are involved in the Bethukandi dyke breach incident. So we will carry forward our investigation in this manner and whoever else are involved shall be apprehended.”

During his 3rd visit in a row to Silchar on 2 July, 2022, Chief Minister Dr Himanta Biswa Sarma said, “As of now, we have information of 6 people involved in the Bethukandi dyke breach incident which flooded Silchar, but let’s see how things unfold.” SP Ramandeep Kaur also confirmed that the four nabbed are from the same list as mentioned by the Chief Minister. She also informed that as the investigation is still on the way, the police will find out who all are involved.

However, the Police Super while interacting with the newsmen informed that the Irrigation Department lodged the FIR on 23 May, 2022. “After getting the complaint, this thing was enquired into because that is the procedure. We then found the allegation to be correct and based on the enquiry, we registered the case on 21 June, 2022.”

Cachar Police took almost a month to register the case wherein a very serious allegation was made by the Irrigation Department. By the time, the case was registered, Silchar witnessed the most devastating flood. Water rushed through the wide breach made in Bethukandi dyke and submerged the entire town, thereby causing heavy loss of property.

Meanwhile, the Chief Minister during his visit to Silchar visited Bethukandi on 2 July and said, “Regarding Bethukandi breach, CID has been asked to register a case in Guwahati. So the case will be registered in Guwahati. People will be interrogated in Guwahati and the case will be investigated from Guwahati. A special task force will be constituted under ADGP CID for this purpose. As the case will be registered in Guwahati, so those whom will be arrested shall have to take bail in Guwahati and not from Silchar…. FIR was already lodged by the SP in Silchar, but now we have taken it to the next level.”

After the direct intervention by the Chief Minister on 2 July, Cachar Police set into action and started to apprehend those who were allegedly involved in the Bethukandi dyke breach case.