Assam Police on Friday detained Shrinkhal Chaliha, the Central Administrative Secretary of the Bir Lachit Sena, along with Organising Secretary Har Kumar Gogoi, in Sepon while they were en route to Duliajan in Dibrugarh district. The two were leading a group of over 50 members of the organisation to join ongoing protests demanding the arrest of Tanu Shahi. They were intercepted and taken into custody amid heightened security, with Chaliha later being brought to the office of the Superintendent of Police in Dibrugarh for questioning.
Meanwhile, the crackdown on protests intensified in Duliajan, where police detained at least 15 demonstrators, including several prominent local leaders. Among those apprehended were Minakshi Gogoi, President of the Asomiya Mahila Mancha, and Ranu Tamuli, the organisation’s Secretary. Jyotishman Hazarika, President of the ATTSA’s Bordubi unit, was also among those taken into custody. Members of the Gorkha Mahila Mancha were similarly detained as authorities attempted to suppress the growing dissent.
The arrest of Shrinkhal Chaliha and his associates sparked immediate and intense backlash in various parts of Upper Assam, especially in Sivasagar. Protesters from the Bir Lachit Sena and the SC Students’ Union flooded the streets, raising slogans and condemning the government’s actions. Demonstrators issued a stern ultimatum to the authorities, demanding the unconditional release of all detained leaders within three hours or threatening to shut down the entire Upper Assam region.
The detentions have added fuel to an already volatile situation, with the demand for Tanu Shahi’s arrest becoming a flashpoint across the state. With tensions running high, especially in Sivasagar and Dibrugarh, civil society groups and student organisations are vowing to escalate the agitation unless the government takes immediate steps to address public concerns and release the detained protest leaders.
