Agartala: A cow slaughter carried out in the courtyard of a Muslim home, located in a Hindu-dominated village Gopalnagar in Mohanpur Sub-division under Sidhai Police Station, has triggered communal tension and police action.
The incident took place on Wednesday when residents reportedly saw a cow being slaughtered in broad daylight at the residence of Jainal Miah. The act, according to locals, deeply offended the religious sentiments of the Hindu majority in the area and sparked immediate outrage.
Local residents said that Gopalnagar is predominantly inhabited by Hindu families. As the news of the cow slaughter spread through the village, a crowd of angry Hindu youths rushed to the spot and reacted strongly upon witnessing the scene of the cow being butchered.
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“It’s not just about an animal being slaughtered—it’s about doing this in the open, in the heart of a Hindu neighbourhood, knowing how it would affect us,” said one agitated local.
It is alleged that the slaughter was led by a local man identified as Abu Miah. However, before tensions could escalate further, he reportedly fled the area. Meanwhile, it also came to light that the cow was procured from a Hindu youth named Sanjit Debnath, who was said to be present at the location during the incident.
As soon as the Sidhai Police Station officials learned about the incident they were promptly deployed to contain the situation. Meanwhile, additional forces, including personnel from the Tripura State Rifles (TSR) and Central Reserve Police Force (CRPF), were stationed across the locality to maintain law and order.
Speaking to Ukhrul Times, the Officer-in-Charge of Sidhai Police Station Mangesh Pathari said, “This morning, tensions arose in the Gopalnagar area over the slaughtering of a cow at a house, and there were some scuffles with locals. However, the situation is now under control, and we have deployed police, TSR, and CRPF forces in the area.”
In the midst of the chaos, locals noticed the presence of a BSF jawan who was reportedly at the site in uniform at the time of the incident. His presence drew sharp reactions from residents, who questioned the appropriateness of a uniformed central force personnel being at the location during such a sensitive situation.
Residents demanded an inquiry into why the BSF jawan was present at the spot and whether he had any involvement in the incident. “How can a government serviceman in uniform be present during such a sensitive act? He must be held accountable,” said one of the protestors.
While the situation has been brought under control for now, the mood in the village remains tense. Members of the local Hindu community have demanded the immediate arrest of those involved in the slaughter and legal action against those present during the slaughtering. Police and administrative officials have said that the situation is under constant watch, and any breach of law will be dealt with firmly.