Police crackdown on drugs

Police have stepped up raids to check the supply of illegal drugs like painkiller tablets and cough syrup as well as country liquor, with many youths getting addicted to drugs and alcohol here.

The police have already seized a significant quantity of country liquor and dismantled some outlets here.

BJP leader and physician, Debamoy Sanyal, who has been working on creating awareness among youths about addiction, said youths with a drug habit had sparked off violence in the recent past.

Sanyal said consumption of liquor, tablets and capsules may lead to incoherent behaviour. Dhubri additional superintendent of police, Prasanta Dutta, said owing to action against addicts and peddlers, many had pledged not to indulge in such activities any more. “We have already dismantled many country liquor outlets and raided dens of drug peddlers and will continue our work,” he said.

Probe into ex-MLA’s ‘communal’ remark

Dhubri police today initiated an inquiry into an alleged communal statement by former Dhubri legislator Rasul Haque (Bahadur) after a complaint was lodged by the district unit of the Nikhil Bharat Banga Sahitya Sanmilan yesterday.

Dhubri police registered an FIR against the former legislator under Sections 135 and 120-B IPC and started an inquiry into the statement allegedly aired on some of the state-run TV news channels, a senior police officer in Dhubri said.

The president of the Dhubri unit of the organisation, Debasish Bhattacharjee, alleged that the statement would add fuel to the fire.

He asked the police to take steps in the greater interest of social and racial harmony.

Violence at Dhubri again

A house at Bahdurtary (Ananda Bazar) here was torched last night though shops, which had remained closed for the past four days, opened during the period of curfew relaxation today.

The house of one Radha Debi at Bahadurtary in ward 11 here was torched late last night with Radha and her daughter’s family of three sleeping inside.

“We woke up when the house caught fire and cried for help. But it was completely reduced to ashes before anybody could do anything,” Radha’s daughter, Kabita Das, said.

She said she and several other persons smelt petrol as the arsonists had probably sprinkled the fuel before setting the house on fire.

People of the locality alleged that since troubled started last week, they had closed the bamboo bridge connecting the locality with other areas. This might have angered the other community and spurred them into torching the house.

Dhubri town sub-inspector Dewan Harmuj Ali said barring the arson, no fresh incident was reported from any part of Dhubri town.

The town is now limping back to normality though tension prevails in some parts of the town.

Shops finally opened and government offices and banks functioned normally during the curfew relaxation period today.

The curfew was re-imposed from 5pm.

Dhubri Women lathicharged by police

Police today lathicharged a group of women who were demonstrating outside Dhubri police station demanding the release of nine persons who were detained by police last night.

The police action not only dampened the festive spirit on Lakshmi Puja but also caused deep resentment among the residents of Dhubri.

Last night, Dhubri police picked up nine persons from Bishnu Hall, Sluice Gate, Korai Patty and Nulia Patty areas in connection with clashes that took place few days ago. Six of them were arrested and the rest were later released. The protesters claimed that all them were innocent and the police arrested them without any inquiry on the basis of a false FIR lodged by some persons.

Curfew relaxed in Assam's Dhubri town

Curfew imposed in Assam's Dhubri town following clashes was on Friday relaxed for seven hours with authorities describing the situation as being under control.

With no fresh incident being reported following violence on Wednesday and in view of Eid-ul-Zoha tomorrow, the Dhubri district administration relaxed the prohibitory order from 9 AM to 4 PM.

Shops, markets, offices and banks remained open during the curfew relaxation period. However, educational institutions were closed because of Durga Puja vacation.

In view of tomorrow's festival, security measures have been augmented in vulnerable areas, official sources said.

Curfew was imposed in the district headquarters after three persons were injured in clashes between two groups in IG road area in this town.

The incident took place when a group of people were returning after immersing idols of Goddess Durga in the Brahmaputra, the sources said. The situation had turned tense after the stabbing of a Durga Puja pandal decorator by unidentified persons on Tuesday night in IG Road area.