HT Correspondent
DIBRUGARH, Aug 19: The police on Saturday arrested the Dibrugarh Vendors Association‘s (DVA) leader, Madan Shah after a mob of around 200 street vendors carried out an attack on the car of Dibrugarh MLA Prasanta Phukan.
The mob attacked Phukan while he was leaving after attending a meeting of the Dibrugarh Municipal Board (DMB).
The mob led by Shah, who claimed to be the leader of the street vendors of the town, tried to stop the MLA from leaving and started banging on the four-wheeler the latter was travelling in.
The police were immediately informed. Dibrugarh SP Shwetank Mishra and district officials rushed to the spot and brought the situation under control.
After the MLA left, the mob then turned their ire on the ward commissioner of the town’s municipal ward number five, Dibyajyoti Hazarika, physically assaulting him. He sustained minor injuries during the attack.
They even tried to attack DMB chairman Saikat Patra and vice-chairman Ujjal Phukon. However, the police intervened at the right time and saved the duo.
Following the incident, the DMB chairman lodged an FIR against Madan Shah and others at the Dibrugarh police station. The municipal board also threatened to cease work if the culprits were not arrested within 24 hours.
Meanwhile acting swiftly, the Dibrugarh police arrested Madan Shah and booked a case under sections 143, 147, 341, 352, 353 and 427 of the Indian Penal Code.
The civic body had been carrying out an eviction drive against street vendors for illegally encroaching the footpaths and streets of the town. Specific vending zones have even been provided to the street vendors, but a section of them refuse to move to set up their merchandise in these zones.
On the other hand, the accused took to voice message to appeal to the members of his organisation to save him.
He appealed to all members of the organisation to share his message on different social media platforms.
