Tension erupted between Sugnu police and 37 Assam Rifles when the latter blocked the main gate of Sugnu Police Station and SDPO office on Friday morning.
The incident reportedly occurred at around 8:30 am on Friday when three ‘Casspir vehicles’ loaded with Assam Rifle personnel, led by CO of 37 Assam Rifles, Digvijay Ahlawat, came and blocked the main entrance of Sugnu Police Station and its SDPO office without informing the reason to the police station.
Reliable sources said the three Casspir vehicles were parked in front of the main entrance of Sugnu Police Station and SDPO office so that no vehicle could enter nor exit.
One of the Assam Rifles vehicles blocked the Sugnu road in front of the police station, trying to overpower the state police force, the sources said.
When the police personnel asked the Assam Rifles to remove their vehicles, it was apparently ignored, the sources said.
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Then, tension erupted among the Assam Rifles personnel led by CO of 37 Assam Rifle Digvijay Ahlawat and additional SP (Ops), Thoubal, Wangkhomba Okramcha; additional SP (Ops), Kakching, Chongtham Binoy; Additional SP, Kakching, A Romendra; SDPO Sugnu, Anthony Suresh and officer-in-charge, Sugnu police station, Riyaj Khan.
At one point, the Assam Rifles and the state police even pointed guns at each other. However, when the OC of Sugnu threatened the CO of 37 Assam Rifles that an FIR would be lodged against him for blocking the main entrance of state police, the Assam Rifle personnel left the place.
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Meanwhile, when the confrontation was taking place between the two sides, a gunfight was reported from nearby villages, including Tangjeng, Napet and Pombikhok between state forces and Kuki militants.
Villagers of the area questioned why the 37 Assam Rifles were blocking the main entrance of Sugnu police when there was a gunfight at nearby villages. There is a suspicion that 37 Assam Rifles are supporting the Kuki militants indirectly, they alleged.
Villagers of Sugnu appreciated the heroic act of the Sugnu police and state commando for protecting the villagers during the communal clash.
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