3 held in connection with mob assault of two IRB jawans at Mizoram-Tripura border, 1 flees

At least two persons were arrested for allegedly assaulting two Indian Reserve Battalion personnel at the Mizoram-Tripura border, a senior police officer said on Monday.

Around 100 people assaulted the two jawans, identified as C Lalhruaitluanga and R Zairemmawia, who were guarding the border at Zomuantlang in west Mizorams Mamit district on Saturday, according to Mizoram''s Deputy Inspector General of Police (Northern Range) Lalbiakthanga Khiangte.

Four volunteers, two from Tripura and the other two from Mizoram, of a village-level task force guarding the inter-state border were playing cards. The trouble started when the jawans asked them to stop and remain vigilant, police said. They incited their friends from the village on the Tripura side. Some 100 people then beat up the two IRB personnel with firewood and bamboo stick, police said.

The two men somehow managed to escape. They were admitted to the Aizawl Civil Hospital and were discharged on Monday, officials said. At Zomuantlang, volunteers from Mizoram and Tripura are jointly guarding the inter-state borders to prevent public movement in a bid to contain the spread of the coronavirus.

The volunteers were assisted by the Mizoram Police and Indian Reserve Battalion personnel. Khiangte said the Tripura Police arrested three persons on Sunday evening in connection with the incident. They were identified as Santilal Chakma (31), Bimal Chakma (19) and Mohanlal Chakma (27), all from Kawnpui-I village in Tripura, he said.

Santilal escaped while undergoing a medical check-up at a hospital a few hours later, he added. A massive search operation has been launched in both Mizoram and Tripura to nab the absconded and other culprits involved in the assault, Khiangte. Efforts are also on by the Mizoram Police to get the custody of the arrested persons, he added. 

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