HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Jan 2: A night patrol organised by villagers to prevent cattle theft led to a tense confrontation with police in the Maijan Natun Gaon area of Dibrugarh, where police fired shots in the air to disperse an agitated crowd in the early hours of Friday.
According to villagers, incidents of cattle theft had been reported in the area for more than a week, prompting local youths to keep vigil at night during the New Year period.
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At around 4 am, villagers noticed a suspicious vehicle moving through the locality.
When they attempted to stop it, the occupants allegedly tried to flee. After the road was blocked, the vehicle stopped, but those inside reportedly refused to come out, following which the villagers informed the police.
Tensions escalated after the police arrived and allegedly allowed the vehicle to leave without questioning the occupants.
This angered the villagers, who accused the police of shielding cattle thieves and began protesting at the spot.
As the situation intensified and some villagers advanced towards the police, officers fired blank rounds in the air to disperse the crowd.
Additional police personnel were later deployed to bring the situation under control.
Speaking to media persons at the site, Gurav, Superintendent of Police, confirmed the sequence of events.
He said the incident occurred around 4 am when locals stopped a vehicle suspecting cattle thieves inside, and police resorted to firing in the air to control the crowd while rescuing three individuals from the spot.
The SSP said the three individuals were taken to Dibrugarh Police Station for questioning.
“So far, we have found no evidence to suggest that they were cattle thieves. Further interrogation is continuing. Lawful action will also be taken against those who attempted to take the law into their own hands,” he said.
He added that the Additional Superintendent of Police has been directed to monitor and investigate the entire incident.
Meanwhile, a local resident alleged that cattle thieves frequently arrive in different vehicles and steal cattle directly from cowsheds, claiming that due to perceived police inaction, villagers were compelled to organise night patrols themselves.
He further alleged that instead of addressing their concerns, the police resorted to firing to control the crowd.
