Rampant extortion in the name of ‘Durga Puja’ , drivers welfare association file complaint with police

By Our Correspondent

Agartala, September 5, 2025

Neither the organizers of ‘Durga Puja’ nor the state administration seem to have learnt any lesion from the communal tension and clashes over extortion of money in the name of ‘Durga Puja’ last year in Kadamtala under Dharma Nagar subdivision last year. This is reflected in the fact that even this year groups of miscreants and anti-socials organizing community ‘Durga Pujas’ have started extorting money from people and beating them for refusal to part with the demanded money in many parts of the state, defying a call made by none other than the chief minister Dr Manik Saha.

The problem of extortion is most acute in the Churaibari police station area, specially at the entry gate to the state and also in Kumarghat area where a number of clubs comprising miscreants have started extorting large amounts of money forcibly from drivers of long-distance trucks coming to the state. The latest such incident of extortion and physical assault took place yesterday at Churaibari where a truck driver Parindra Nath (35), resident of Padmabil area under Panisagar subdivision, had stopped his truck numbered (NLO1AC/3027) carrying bottles of Pepsi cold drinks near the sale tax complex. A gang of extortionists in the name of ‘Durga Puja’ set upon the driver and asked for a hefty amount as ‘Puja’ subscription . But driver Parindra Nath told them that he will give the subscription after the upcoming ‘Vishwakarma Puja’. This led to a heated argument and Parindra Nath was physically assaulted .

The matter reached the Drivers Welfare Association (DWA) and a complaint was filed with the Churaibari police station. A spokesman of the association told media persons that the so-called ‘Puja’ organizers are demanding this year amounts ranging between Rs 1 thousand and 5 thousand which they can not give but refusal to give money is often met with physical assaults on drivers. A number of clubs of the Kumarghat area are the worst perpetrators of extortion and violent attacks on drivers this year in Kumarghat area. The DWA have appealed to the chief minister to take immediate and drastic action to stop such depredations by ‘Puja’ organizers or they will be forced to launch an agitation by stopping transportation of goods to the state by trucks. However, police sources said that the Churaibari police station has launched an inquiry into the alleged assault on driver Parindra Nath yesterday .

more news...