HT Correspondent
AGARTALA, April 18: A man accused of sexually harassing a girl inside an auto-rickshaw in Agartala was arrested on Thursday morning, just a day after an FIR was filed in connection with the incident, Tripura Police said.
The arrest was made from the Battala Market area of the city. The accused, identified as Shayamal Das (39), a mason by profession is a resident of Udaipur in the Gomati district.
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Swasati Das, Officer-in-Charge of the West Agartala Women Police Station, confirmed the arrest and said, “An FIR was filed yesterday alleging that a man had sexually assaulted a girl. We have reviewed the video footage and, following the complaint, launched an immediate manhunt. This morning, we arrested the accused and he will be produced before the court today.”
The incident triggered widespread outrage on social media after a video showing the man harassing a young female student went viral.
The matter gained public attention after Tripura royal scion Pradyot Kishore Manikya Debbarma shared the video on Facebook and urged members of the Youth Tipra Federation—the youth wing of the Tipra Motha Party—to coordinate with police authorities.
Following this, a wave of protests erupted online, with several young people—both men and women—voicing their anger and demanding stern action against the perpetrator.
Recounting the harrowing experience, the victim, a university student, said she boarded an auto from GB Bazar on her way to class. “There were already three people inside—this man, a lady, and the driver. I sat in the corner, the woman sat between us, and this man was on the other end. As we reached Shamali Bazar, he touched my shoulder inappropriately. I immediately confronted him and told him to remove his hand.”
She added that the woman and the driver both supported her and scolded the accused. However, things escalated once the woman exited the auto at Battala. “He started behaving inappropriately again. I told the driver to let him out, but he began threatening me. I was so scared—I started crying and shaking.”
The driver reportedly helped the girl and ensured her safety by gathering locals when the accused began to follow the auto on foot. “I was traumatised. In broad daylight, how do we feel safe anymore?” the victim asked.
Police said further action will follow after the accused is produced before the court.
